Edition 1

SOAS

SPIRIT

STUDENTS FIGHT BACK AGAINST CUTS NOV 2010

page 2 | VOICE

OF SOAS

JASMINE LEITNER DISCUSSES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

page 5 | WORLD

VIEW

JOSEPH WATFA EXPLORES THE FADALLAH SYNDROME

page 9 | SPORTS

SYMEON BROWN REFLECTS ON A SUCCESSFUL TOUR

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SOAS SPIRIT

Page 2: FEATURE ARTICLE Mass Protests as educational cuts are first on coalition chopping block VOICE OF SOAS Page 3: Diaspora Diaries Black History back on the Agenda Page 4:Whatever happened to the Enlightenment?

This month at SOAS Page 5: SOAS Society Spotlight SOAS Grumbles

WORLD VIEW (pull out): AFRICA: Dancing with the dead Women of Congo: Victims of War MIDDLE EAST: Fadlallah: Mistaken identity Arab, disabled and invisible ASIA: So, you’re learning Chinese?

Multiculturalism in China

Rights groups blast Thailand MUSINGS: Bare faced democracy Rape as an instrument of war War misconceived DOMESTIC: Why you should worry about the cuts...

Editor: Saquib Malik Layout Editors: Lily He Jake Thurston Voice of SOAS Editor: Nick Rodrigo World View Editor: Ali Khan Musing Editor: Gloria Montgomerry Satire: Joseph Buckley Sports Editor: Amit Singh Photogrpahers: Dougal Wallace Spencer Chumbley

VOICE OF SOAS: OFFICIER PROFILES CULTURE: SOUND OF SOAS FILM REVIEWS SATIRE: WITTY BANTER SPORTS: Page 9: Illusions of Sport Destroyed Kenya’s Safari Sevens Page 10: Beyond Borders Results BACK PAGE: POETRY BY CHRIS GUTKIND

This paper could not have been done without the continued help of the following: Dougal Wallace Jefferson Regan Jasper Kain Sebillio Uribe SOAS Student Union Comment Middle East Michael Pope A special thanks to you all!

‘Like’ OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: SOAS SPIRIT

After four months of bumping, boiling and bubbling ideas together we have finally come up with our paper. The Spirit provides you, the student body, with news and opinions of what is going on in your university and outside the campus in the wider world. We have garnered the finest writers from throughout this special institution to provide you with their ideas and musings on what matters to us as SOAS students.

The newspaper is sub-divided into four sections. The first section is called “The Voice of SOAS” this section relates to university news and reviews as well as opinions on matter that are quintessentially SOAS. Due to the huge interest of SOAS students in foreign affairs and international events, here at the spirit we found it necessary to dedicate a section to this curiosity. “World View” covers many of the areas and topics that ignite the passions of SOAS students. Culture also receives attention under the aptly named section, “Culture”. Our sports editor has coordinated with his writers to provide some fascinating articles concerning sport in Africa and South Asia as well as interviews with sports players.

Finally, no newspaper could be complete without a page devoted to humour and witty banter. We have orchestrated a veritable treat of haikus and jibes in a section headed “Satire”.

If any reader feels that the content in this paper is inaccurate, provocative or just downright interesting please e-mail your comments to each section editor.

Happy Reading from the editorial team!

NOVEMBER 2010

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FEATURE STORY MASS PROTESTS AS EDUCATION SYSTEM FIRST ON COALITION CHOPPING BLOCK Eavan Louise Mckay 230651@soas.ac.uk Universities may be allowed free reign on how much they charge students if the cap on fees is lifted, as Lord Browne advises in a review of university funding published on October 9. Recommending that there should be no ‘single fixed price’ for tuition fees, Lord Browne claims that institutions would have to show students that the fees they pay represent value for money. It also outlines that all courses except medicine, sciences, engineering and modern language degrees could stop receiving state subsidies. The rationalising rhetoric of the recommendations is that different courses cost different amounts to run and that ‘priority’ subjects should be labelled as such, thus treated differently in terms of the student finance opportunities those subjects offer.

The review says that there needs to be a “closer fit between what is taught and the skills needed in the economy”. Brown’s recommendations, were they to be put into effect, would show the government to have a dangerously narrow outlook on the programmes of

study that will enrich our society. The become more elitist. stance that the Browne Review has tak- The Review could mean that en towards humanities, arts, and social SOAS, and universities like ours that sciences being not valuable enough to offer many degrees in humanities, social deserve subsidies provokes question- science and culture will be hit the harding of how we measure value or profit. est if the proposed cuts take shape. The Does soannouncement ciety only “The truth is social science, of George Osbenefit borne’s Spending humanities are the Review last week from grad- culture, uates who subjects that allow people like showed Universiare likely myself and someone half way across ties are to face a to earn the 40% cut in their most mon- the world to relate to each other” teaching budget. ey or can Further decisions society also profit from graduates from on Browne’s recommendations and on minority degrees such as music who higher education are to take place at a can offer creative and inspiring skills later date. If Lord Browne’s recommenpossibly for a lower salary? These rec- dations of a new funding system take ommendations would result in students shape, as they are expected to, public choosing their degrees based on a mat- support for arts, humanities, and social ter of affordability rather than talent and science will be stripped away and costs passion. It would dissuade working will be passed directly onto students. class and middle class students from The SOAS Student Union has attending university and may persuade made clear it’s position against the many richer students to attend universi- Browne Review at a general meeting ties abroad. Institutions would inevitably on Monday October 18 when students,

Disgruntled students gather in JCR to mobilise against upcoming educational cuts

union members, and guests gathered to discuss the review. Speakers encouraged students to get involved with the protests and discussed higher education around the world and the historical shift from the burden of higher education being on the employer, to the government and now to the student.

Academic and lecturer in the History department at SOAS, Angus Lockyer began the discussion noting the global setting of the Browne review and said that we need to look forward with what is happening, to protest and fight universities from becoming elitist institutions.

A reoccurring point of discussion during the meeting was the importance of what SOAS teaches. Joshua Price, leader of the SOAS Labour Society said, “We need to think about what we want our society to look like,” and emphasised that knowledge is transferable. Jasper Kain, Sports and Societies Officer pronounced, “We need to be ambassadors now”. There was anger amongst many students who voiced their opinions, stating that what SOAS teaches in its arts and humanities and social sciences faculties is of importance, and phrases such as “education is about learning” echoed around the room. These sentiments represent a great fear that the Browne Review has evoked; which is that educational institutions set up for the learning purposes of the individuals who attend them could turn into profiting business machines that will become only accessible to the elite. Milaad Rajai, Co- President Welfare and Education said at the event, “The truth is social science, culture, humanities are the subjects that allow people like myself and someone half way across the world to relate to each other.” Continuing, he said we should take this on board and “harness our emotions on the day of protest”.

That is exactly what a large crowd of SOAS students alongside other University of London students, workers and trade unionists did on October 20 in a march to Dowling Street organised by the Coalition of Resistance. To resist against cuts to our education join the movement.

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SOAS SPIRIT

VOICE OF SOAS DIASPORA DIARIES Amit Singh 231158@soas.ac.uk I am one of the 1,316,000 people of Indian origin that currently live in the United Kingdom, but having been brought up in Essex in a comfortable middle class family I’ve always found it hard to relate to the fact that my grandparents are from India. As my parents are not together I was mainly raised by my mother who was born in Birmingham and is as a result quite westernised, which I don’t personally see as a bad thing. I was never taught Punjabi as a child, and I can count the number of times I’ve visited a Gurdwara on one hand. I’ve even “I don’t see why I should be ashamed to be so often been referred to westernized. England is very much my home, a as a ‘coconut,’ by other place I’m proud to have been born” British Indians.

Clearly at the age of 20 it was pretty bad that I’d never been to India, so last summer I decided to see what all the fuss was about by heading to the ‘Motherland’ for two months. I left with romanticized ideas that as I stepped off the plane at Indira Gandhi airport a turban would suddenly appear on my head, and Punjabi would instantly flow off my tongue as I moved to embrace ‘my people.’ How wrong I was...

In reality no turban appeared and my Punjabi was as poor as ever, it was ludicrously hot at about 45 degrees Celsius and I was struck by the pungent and unpleasant smells that India seems to produce. India, and Delhi in particular was massively overcrowded and polluted, incredibly dirty, with a disturbing amount of beggars and social injustice.

I had equally misguided views about the Punjab, envisaging it as a luscious green place, and thought that Amritsar, one of the holiest cities in India would be where my reawakening would take place. But again, it was dirty, dusty and over-

crowded with beggars hassling me on every corner.

Perhaps expecting to be met with visions of Guru Nanak on entering the Golden Temple was in retrospect a little ridiculous. It was of course a beautiful building but as someone that is supposedly Sikh (although pretty much only by my surname) I expected to feel some sort of deep spiritual connection, and was frankly quite disappointed that I didn’t.

But could I really be expected to relate to a country that I basically had nothing in common with, except having the same skin colour as its inhabitants?

That I’d never previously been too, a country where I had to communicate with people in English? I don’t see why I should be ashamed to be so westernized. England is very much my home, a place I’m proud to have been born, but this isn’t to say I’m ashamed, or embarrassed of my origins, despite my failure to reconnect with India I still look back on my trip nostalgically and would one day like to visit again.

If anything after visiting India I feel more British than ever and in honesty I’m quite pleased that my forefathers had the foresight to leave India for pastures greener, had they not I’d probably be working on a farm in the Punjab in roasting 50 degree

BLACK HISTORY ON THE AGENDA

Jasmin Leitner 226761@soas.ac.uk Black History Month within the UK is once again upon us, allowing people of all origins to increase their knowledge of Black/African History, cultures and legacies. As an institution thoroughly grounded in the exploration of languages, cultures and achievements of African peoples and peoples of the Africa Diaspora, one would expect no

less of SOAS than to be promoting and participating in Black History Month events, such as a Black History Month discussion panel, which took place on Friday 22nd October in the Brunei Gallery.

The Panel was made up by Dr. Chege Githiora and Dr Kwadwo Osei-Nyame, Jnr, who both presented their perspec-

tives and recommendations on Black History Month as well as around 70 students from state schools and colleges, who were able to question the panellists.

The enthusiasm of the students and their engagement with the topics discussed was refreshing and should leave no one in doubt as to the relevance and need for Black History Month.

Both speakers focused on the crucial role that education must play in making people of African descent conscious of their own history, as well as making non-African people aware of the existence of an alternative historical narrative to the dominant Eurocentric one which still runs through our schools, institutions and governments, both within Europe and America, as well as within the African continent itself. Additionally it was reiterated that there should not be a need for a Black History Month, if the histories and peoples of Africa were respected and promoted in their own right, standing side by side with their Western counterparts on a daily basis.

Events have been going on across the country over the whole of October and

there are still a few things that should not be missed in London, including a Nigerian Cinema day at BFI Southbank (Sat 30th October), a Jeff Stetson play “The Meeting”, imagining the meeting of two icons – Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X – at the Pleasance Theatre (Tues 26th October – Sat 30th October) as well as an educational and cultural extravaganza by Africa Then and Now, showcasing some of Ghana’s richest talent at the Adulis Basement Bar (Fri 5th November).

As those of studying at SOAS know, there are a plethora of exhibitions, concerts, plays and other events going on related to African peoples of the world all year round; it is just a case of knowing who to speak to and where to look.

The multi-faceted environment of SOAS can make it easy to take certain things for granted and Black History Month can serve us all as a reminder that there are still many things to do and strive for before full equality and recognition is given to all societies that have made up our world; past, present and future.

NOVEMBER 2010

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WHAT EVER HAPPENNED TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT? How Religion continually attempts to be above the law.

Saquib Malik 211225@soas.ac.uk No one in their right mind would ever condone the plans of US Reverend Terry Jones to burn a Qu’ran in a perverse memorial to victims of the September 11th attacks on America. Many would simply label the man ignorant and move on. As they would with other similar stories of ignorance – as is the adult reaction to any story such as this.

However, upon the announcment of Jones' 'International Burn a Qu'ran Day', I saw the same old images as I always see, in the Muslim world, every time they feel they have been offended. The BBC reported that chants of ‘Death to America’ swept across Afghanistan and officials in Iran warned of an ‘uncontrollable’ reaction if the planned event came to pass.

Similar scenes were witnessed at other times, when freedom of expresion had offended parts of the Muslim world so deeply they felt the need to riot. After Salman Rushdie - ranked the 13th best British writer since 1945 by The Times - released his book the ‘Satanic Verses’ the Aytollah

offence to many, however offence is a small price to pay for the un-negotiable luxury of freedom of speech. To those people who still call for the restrictions of this essential human right, I suggest you emmigrate to a country where freedoms are harshly repressed - there are plenty of dictatorships around - see if you prefer living there.

And we’ll be ready to take you back when you realise how important freedom of speech is.

Khomeni of Iran put a Fatwa (religious execution order) on Rushdie’s head, when Dutch film maker, Theo Van Goah made a 10 minute film concerning the abuse of women in Muslim culture he was stabbed to death in Holland and when a cartoon of the so called 'prophet' Muhammad surfaced in Denmark, violent attacks upon Danish embassies were widespread across the world.

Further to this, almost uniformly across all major news networks and newspapers, the cartoon images of the 'prophet' were censored for fears of futher attacks from Muslims.

This leads me to ask, where have our values gone?

We are always told that mere freedom of speech constitutes a grave offence to the Muslim world and we must refrain. However do none of these hypocrites, urging us to show restrain, see the paradox of this? We must curb one of the most important ideals we hold - freedom of speech - inherited from our enlightenment, to appease

THIS MONTH AT SOAS This Month at SOAS there will be a wide variety of events and socials that will keep even the most insatiable SOAS enthusiast happy.

November 5: Friday night free Music event for Congo with 03:00 late license at SOAS. Three rooms of live music from those bum shaking Congolese troubadours Grupo Lokito Ruby and the Vines and many more live Reggae acts.

On the same day from 19:30 there will be songs of Love & Liberation from Iran in the Brunei Gallery £3 entry fee for SOAS students.

November 6-8: The Hitchhiking Society welcomes like-minded enthusiasts down to Totnes in Devon to celebrate the first Nomadic Journey of the new SOAS yurt.

November 10:

the subjective feelings of a seemingly offensive-prone religion. Am I the only one thinking that the 'baby-ish' feelings of a religious sect should not be above the law?

I say it is not the Islamic world and their way of life which is currently under attack but conversely any country that aspires to the ideals of the Enlightenment. Terry Jones may be a nut case preacher whose views are shaped by ignorance and hate and which cause

A national demonstration against the cuts. This demonstration will start at ULU at 11:30.

Also that day the Ethiopian Society invites students to “A journey to the Lost Kingdom” with Jonathan Dimbleby at the Ethiopian Embassy, SW7 2AR from 18:00.

November 18: SOAS Labour Society presents a Q&A evening with three prominent members of the party Chuka Umunna, Tulip Siddiq and Brenda King MBE from 19:00 in B102.

November 19: Yet more music for your tune hungry ears on the, Friday night free music presents you with Soul Rub live from 20:00-01:00 in the JCR. There will also be a talk on “Kurdish minority in Syria” with Sheila Mosley, Wijdan Deriki and Alan Semo in B102, this is hosted by the SOAS Kurdish Society.

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The Society Spotlight shines on… SOAS DEBATING Caroline Ward 238120@soas.ac.uk

Last weekend, over 400 people came together from 16 countries and 40 universities.

Why? Because SOAS Debating Society were hosting their annual debating tournament, SOAS IV. Not bad for one little society. But as student organisations go, Debate Soc. is definitely punching above its weight. Regular meetings twice a week (Monday 7pm in room 116, and Wednesday 7pm in room B104) are just the start. ‘We set up lots of show debates to try and fire up our members and help them learn how to hone their skills’, explains Sheraz, society president.

So what about those of us who are terrified of public speaking? Sheraz tells me that regardless of a nervous disposition, we are actively encouraged to go along and join in. ‘It can really help develop important life skills, and makes

SOAS GRUMBLES Maddy Fry 211658@soas.ac.uk I should probably first stress that I write with some trepidation. The aim of this column is to give students a place to voice any well-founded grievances relating to their experiences at SOAS, be they academic, administrative, technological, pastoral or completely below the radar; it is not meant to be somewhere to heap slander and abuse upon many of the over-worked and underpaid staff within this institution.

Having said that, with fees set to increase and higher education funding to tighten in the years ahead, things can either get better or considerably worse, and already too many SOAS students often feel they are not receiving value for the considerable sums of money they pay in tuition. It is only by identifying problems that any progress can be made in solving them. In that spirit, this month we look at SOAS administration.

Firstly, queues appear to be a staple of faculty office life. Within the Arts & Humanities faculty the forms for things like late submission and floater applications are kept inside instead of out, forcing students to queue simply just to collect and fill one in. Basic information, such as where people should go if they don’t know who their personal tutor is (if they have one to begin with) and the office hours kept by lecturers are not explained on the SOAS website. Thus, people

SOAS SPIRIT

things like university presentations seem a lot less daunting too.’

But won’t we look like morons when compared to seasoned debaters? Not at all, I am reassured. ‘We use the bi-weekly meetings to practise exercises and games, which help people develop their techniques and structure their arguments.’

Sounds nice. So what kind of stuff do we get to argue about? ‘We like to think the motions presented are relevant to SOAS students and their specialist degree subjects. Here we have people studying worldwide culture, history and politics, so we want to take their interest in that and bring it to the debates.’ They also regularly team up with other societies for a wider programme of events.

So what makes the SOAS Debating Society special? Whilst many of the topics debated may well be considered risqué or taboo, they are always covered from every possible angle. Sheraz tells me he is proud that Debate Soc stands apart from to many other SOAS societies, in that it doesn’t define itself by any specific opinion or political view,

which can be something of a refreshing change.

So long as you are prepared to defend your viewpoint, you can present any argument you feel relevant.

Still not sold? Membership is free, and those interested in taking debating seriously can consider subsidised trips as part of the ‘Debating Beyond Borders’ scheme, an annual summer programme that's seen students travel everywhere from Thailand to Botswana, in order to take part in a diverse mix of competitions, training and community outreach.

are forced to waste everyone’s time asking office staff inane questions that should already be answered elsewhere.

Yet these minor issues pale in comparison to stories of students having had work lost and essay marks mis-recorded. One linguistics postgrad was given 0 for an essay that had been submitted on time, but complications with the BLE online submission system had meant there was no record beyond the emails she had exchanged

to gain points back he had lost during illness had

with BLE support. Similarly, a form she had handed in about her dissertation topic was lost, with the office neglecting to inform her when it did eventually resurface.

A second year history student also trying

“One anthropology undergrad attempting a politics floater spent an hour searching for signatures that she was later told she did not need” to face unclear deadlines in the faculty handbook and at least three weeks of unanswered emails regarding his status. That, and having had two of his essays lost and not recovered for 3 weeks.

Then there is the mindless bureaucracy concerning floaters and room bookings. One anthropology undergrad attempting a politics floater spent an hour searching for signatures that she was later told she did not need. Countless students are forced to squat on the floors of classrooms as lecturers have no power to choose ones appropriate to numbers. When bigger rooms are needed urgently, those in charge of room allocations are often unresponsive.

The list goes on.

There are obviously budget cuts and staff shortage issues at every level within SOAS. But many of the problems repeatedly faced by students could be solved by simple reorganisation.

As we’ll see in the coming months, this applies in almost every area of the School.

If you have a SOAS GRUMBLE please email in to 213890@soas.ac.uk, to have your gripe published!

Africa

Dancing with the Dead The women of congo victims of war

Middle East

Arab, disabled, and invisible The Fadlallah syndrome

Asia

Rights groups blast Thailand So you’re learning Chinese?

Have we forgotten Tibet?

Musings

Bare-faced democracy Who owns digital information?

Rape as an instrument in war

SOAS WORLD VIEW A WORD FROM THE EDITOR M. Ali F. Khan 204550@soas.ac.uk SOAS is a collegiate body of thinkers. A comprehensive coagulate of contemplators and mindsets. It is under this very aegis that the worldview section of this paper has been born, to act as a forum for minds to represent the very views, contemplations, experiences and thoughts about the world around them that define SOAS. Brash and brave, we will endeav-

our to bring opinions and ideas through features that will help continue debate and discussion, whilst allowing readers to expand their knowledge on areas which they would otherwise deem fit for somebody else to take an interest in.

In this edition, we look at articles addressing the very issues of musings, how one’s idea of the truth can lead to dire consequences, and whether it makes those very truths worthwhile or not. We also look at the integral knowledge base that SOAS has, finding stories that other publications wouldn’t and bringing them

to light in a way only a school focussing upon Asia and Africa could. We are approaching taboos such as rape which, albeit, have become public knowledge, however little has been done to curb this global scourge.

The worldview of a mind should represent the reaction of its spirit, and for that very reason we are looking to publish articles uncensored, unaltered and unadulterated.

From all writers and editors, we hope you enjoy this first edition, and please do write in should you have any comments on any of our opinions or articles.

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WORLD VIEW

AFRICA DANCING WITH THE DEAD Liz Day 257641@soas.ac.uk

When my photographer friend spoke to me about reporting on famadihana, or turning of the bones, in Madagascar; the Heart of Darkness instantly came to mind. I imagined secretive cannibalistic rituals and bonerattling voodoo set in deep jungle. I couldn’t have been more mistaken.

In the rolling hills surrounding the town of Antsirabe, during the dry winter months, the predominantly rural population organise festivities around the exhumation of the dead. Far from being morbid the atmosphere is that of a huge cheerful country festival, with lots of food and alcohol, fuelling high emotions of sobbing and laughing as the living reunite with their ancestors.

W e arrived to the village early morning, just before the bodies were exhumed from the crypt. I instantly felt at home as smiling faces a p p ro a c h e d us to welcome the vahaza (white foreigner). One man in particular, Jean Louis, a very knowledgeable elder, spent the whole day with me to explain the process of the ritual in detail. Famadihana, which finds its roots in Austronesia, took its current form relatively recently, dating back to the seventeenth century. Although these festivities are full of seemingly chaotic excitement, there are a slew of rules that are respected throughout the ceremony.

There are tombs all over the highlands in Madagascar which are used either by one family or by a whole community. In this village, over twenty different families share a single tomb. Exhumations take place every five to nine years. About a year before a crypt is due for exhumation, the elders of the community hold audience with an astrologer to determine an auspicious date. During the course of that year, the astrologer will consult

the Malagasy lunar calendar and also communicate with the ancestors to discover their thoughts in the afterlife.

Despite this being fady (taboo) I had the chance to meet an astrologer in another famadihana who told me that she receives messages from the dead, intended to guide the living in following traditional ways.

This is because in the Malagasy world view, objects, living creatures and humans all have a position in the cosmos which is controlled by the ancestors.

By nine in the morning the Malagasy flag was already hoisted atop the tomb and the village mayor announced the proceedings for the day. The tomb is opened by the elders and the shrouded corpses brought out of the darkness onto mats beside the crypt. This is a moment of emotional reunion and an opportunity to have physical contact with the remains of loved ones. Some shed quiet tears while others jovially drink to the wellbeing of their ancestors.

Each family proceeds to anoint the old shrouds with rhum or honey - even adding a few cigarettes before wrapping the body in its new silk shroud.

When all the corpses have been rewrapped a live brass band strikes up. On command of the mayor, family members pick up the corpses and dance around the tomb with much jiggling and whooping before they are placed back inside to rest for another five years.

I asked Jean Louis if there had been a decrease in famadihana in his lifetime. He said that the process of opening a tomb is a complex and expensive affair where the family is expected to feed a very large party and provide prohibitive silk shrouds. In some cases Malagasy families feel the money could be better spent elsewhere. Another reason for decrease is because of the growing and upsetting popularity of evangelical cults which are vehemently opposed to such animist practices.

Having had the privilege to share such unique events, I began wishing I could have the option to be exhumed.

Death becomes something a lot less final – a lot more tangible if the living and the dead can be brought together again through a huge family party. Assisting to famadihanas was one of the most special opportunities I have had to consider my spirituality and that of others, and definately a far cry from simple morbidity.

WOMEN OF CONGO: VICTIMS OF WAR Felicia Dahlquist 289127@soas.ac.uk

It was dark outside when the rebels came. They came with flashlights and weapons. She was dragged outside to be raped and beaten and then taken to be the wife of a rebel. A few months later having lived as a sex slave, she gave birth to a baby girl. Luck she named it, lucky not to have been killed.

However, her life would never be the same.

Lucienne M’Marovi told her story to the Women for Women International Organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a few years after her escape from the rebels.

Lucienne’s story is just one of many. The DRC is in the midst of an ongoing conflict in Central Africa over valuable natural resources. The fight over the control and possession of resources such as coltan in the area has been a bloody and long lasting conflict. The situation has been described as the largest conflict after the Second World War with over 5.4 million deaths since the outbreak in 1998.

Systematic rape has become a hallmark of the conflict with women becoming key targets. Tens of thousands of women and children have been raped by large groups of armed forces

leaving mothers and daughters humiliated and traumatized with long lasting physical and psychological damage.

Rape as a weapon of war has dehumanised women. Their husbands reject them, forcing them out of their homes to confront the bleak fate of becoming the sole carer for their families.

This has dislocated communities in a country where women make up such an important social and cultural part of society, by providing for their households and communal life as a whole.

The question of what will happen to the children of the rape victims is a daunting one. How will the kind of environment that they have grown up in, impact their future? The risk of these children becoming the next generation of heartless and violent rebels is a terrifying possibility which is why the Women for Women International Organisation has become involved.

Investing in the rehabilitation and empowerment of women not only gives women a second chance but is also an opportunity to rebuild communities. The complex conflict in the DRC is a difficult one to solve but through micro-loans, literacy programs and empowerment groups, women are becoming stronger and thereby proving to their children and surroundings that the future is bright.

As Lucienne M’Marovi says: ‘Joining the program has been a salvation. My children were suffering from malnutrition, but since I began receiving training and learned about the three types of food that need to be a part of a good nutrition, my life has changed and my children are healthy. I recovered confidence through the Women for Women International training.’

NOVEMBER 2010

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MIDDLE EAST FADLALLAH: MISTAKEN IDENTITY Joseph Watfa 226404@soas.ac.uk

It was as if one had gone to sleep and woke up in an Orwellian ‘ 1984;’ a few days after the passing of Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, casualties were faced within the media and political spheres. Charged with misspeak and thought-crime, Octavia Nasr (Former CNN Senior Middle Eastern Editor) and Frances Guy (British Ambassador to Lebanon) suffered the wrath of the Ministry of Truth in their respective circles.

A tweet and a blog post that went against the ‘official line’ and Hey Presto. In the ‘free’ society in which we live, the private views of two women disappeared.

Inded, the role of the media as an independent entity which serves as a check and balance, highlighting the wrongs committed by government and institutions, has been curtailed significantly in recent years. Powerful groups in and out of governments have managed the media in a manner that suits the interests of powerful figures and institutions.

But back to Fadlallah. While the passing of Fadlallah saddened Nasr, she inaccurately identified him as one of Hezbollah’ s giants. Fadlallah was indeed a great man. A Hezbollah giant, however, he was not.

The West’ s one eyed view of the Middle East — which has proved so fatal in foreign policy decisions in recent years — depicted this man as a member of a group listed as a “terrorist” organisation, or more typically, an organisation which does not suit American interests in the region. Nelson Mandela was only removed off the terrorist list in 2009. Fadlallah was deemed to be such a danger to US imperialism in the region, that Washington, in accordance with their Saudi friends, arranged a car bombing to assassinate him in 1985. Fadlallah escaped; 80 innocents did not.

ARAB, DISABLED, AND INVISIBLE Abubakr Al-Shamahi 231028@soas.ac.uk

A woman is giving birth at the family home in an impoverished Arab country. A midwife is called, yet she arrives too late. The baby is born, but gradually the family notice that not all is well. At the age of two, the child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy; a result of a lack of oxygen because of difficulties during labour.

The family attempt to find out if they can help the child, but the local infrastructure cannot help them.

So they head West, a new culture, an alien society, yet somewhere where they will be able to make sure their disabled child has access to the best possible facilities.

This family and the child are some of the lucky few. The vast majority of disabled people in the Arab world do not have the chance to seek treatment abroad, and the care available in their home countries can often be lacking.

Instead, they are sentenced to imprisonment at home, far

Act of terror? Ironically, Fadlallah survived after having stopped to answer a woman’ s question on his way to give the Friday sermon at his local mosque.

Fadlallah was a champion of women’s rights, his various fatwas gave women more rights within society, they denounced domestic violence, and varied from forbidding female circumcision and honour killings, to allowing women to wear nail polish while praying.

Even more profound, was his disassociation from Hezbollah and Iran. When Fadlallah declared himself a ‘marja’ – the highest religious authority in Shia Islam – he was not recognised by either Tehran or Hezbollah.

Of course, this was not noted in the Western press. Their own lineal mode of analysing the Middle East shone through most obviously here; the link was made: Cleric, Islamist, Shia, Hezbollah, Iran, Terrorism. The opportunity is now made available for Iran to seize the vacuum left by Fadlallah’s death within Lebanon’ s Shia community. Perhaps Nasr’s analogy of the death of a giant wasn’t too inapt.

The Western media clumps moderates, extremists, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians together, and there is an inherent failure to understand the nuances of Arab thought. A binary seems to exist; you are either with America, and Israel, or against them. . Octavia Nasr, Helen Thomas and Frances Guy exemplify this.

A similar story: a Defence minister-cumPrime Minister of a country in the Middle East, who was held responsible for overseeing and ‘bearing personal responsibility’ (Kahan Commission) for the massacre of thousands of refugees, fell into a coma in 2005. Jack Straw, British Foreign Secretary at the time, paid tribute to him: “This man is a man not only of great political courage but of astonishing physical courage and resilience as well.”

Jack Straw was neither reprimanded, fired nor made to retract his statement. The difference? This man was an Israeli called Ariel Sharon. Perhaps Orwell was right.

removed from day-to-day social interactions.

If anything, people are so used to only seeing the disabled in the outside world as beggars that many disabled people often find that they are handed money by strangers in the street.

Despite an increase in the understanding of disability, it is still often viewed as a source of shame for a family, even a curse. For the poor, they can be seen as a financial burden, where the disabled are forced to beg just to pay for their keep.

Eighteen Arab countries responded to a survey about the condition of disabled people in the Arab world. According to this survey it was clear that Arab governments are severely lacking when it comes to even basic challenges. There is a failure to raise public awareness about the causes and prevention of disability, and the rights and potentials of persons with disabilities. There are also issues when it comes to passing disabled-friendly legislation, gathering and using information and statistics on disability, and supporting organisations for disabled people.

There is also a distinct lack of effort to create an accessible physical environment for disabled people.

Arab cities can be a nightmarish obstacle courses for anyone attempting to get around in a wheelchair.

Of course, the variety within the Arab world is reflected in the conditions disabled people face from country to country. Countries that have faced wars in

recent times, or continue to do so, are some of the least disabled-friendly. Sadly, war also increases the number of disabled, physically and mentally, who often end up at the end of the list of those in need of help.

There are no accurate statistics, yet it is estimated that for every person killed in a war, three are left with a permanent disability, a statistic particularly felt in Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon.

In those Arab countries with sufficient r e sources, there has been a slow move towards more recognition for the disabled, and an attempt to improve their lives. The Riyadh governor, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, designated the city as the first disabled-friendly city in Saudi Arabia. Jordan became the first country in the Arab world to bring into force disability-specific legislation, and also introduced new building codes aimed at increasing accessibility for the disabled. They also received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award for these efforts to help its disabled people.

These are small steps, but they will hope-

fully lead to a brighter future for disabled people in the Arab world, where they often feel pitied rather than helped. Indeed, society is judged by how it treats those who need assistance, and it is a sad indictment of Arab society when the disabled continue to be invisible.

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WORLD VIEW

ASIA SO YOU’RE LEARNING CHINESE? Jake Thurston 274926@soas.ac.uk

‘X’ is the world’s next super-power, you know. You’ll be in high demand when you graduate.”

No doubt many of us have heard this phrase before, where ‘X’ may be any number of non-European, emerging economic states. But does the theory hold any water, or like the dot-com boom, broken Britain, and brain-drain behind it, is it riddled with holes?

Perhaps the answer can be found in enduring attitudes towards multilingualism in Anglosphere nations; the English language is so widespread in its competent distribution that many native-speakers refuse to recognize any requirement to understand a language beyond their mother-tongue. Consequently, language scholars are held with an incredible regard for their conquering of foreign tongues. Naturally these ideas create high expectations of employability amongst the budding linguists, which are quickly being realized as frustrations given the truth of the matter; multilinguals out-

MULTICULTURALISM IN CHINA?

number monolinguals on a two to one basis, worldwide.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that economic commentary is best refused when it’s coming from me, considering my knowledge of the subject pretty much begins and ends with the concepts surrounding public ownership of the means of production; go SOAS socialism! However, I understand supply and demand well enough to draw the following simplified statement as correct: If the supply does not match or exceed the demand, the commodity increases in value. If the opposite is true, then the value of said commodity drops at a rate proportionate to the supply.

Let’s stick with my example of Chinese (I am after all a student of Mandarin) for now. China is the world’s fastest growing major economy (increasing at 10% per year for the past 30 years) and is the second largest economy as it stands. With all this talk of ‘Broken Britain’ and ‘double-dip recessions’, British businesses are keen to get their slice of this East Asian giant’s pie; here we have the demand. Well, everything’s sorted then; surely we’ll have jobs for life?

Unfortunately not. What’s equally important to note is the massive, existing supply of Chinese speakers. Approximately half a million bilingual Chinese are currently living in the UK, and a further 2.5 million in the United States, and in the PRC English language proficiency is spreading

like SARS in crowded train station during Spring Festival.

It appears then that the Asian-language cashcow is a fallacy created by our sense of entitlement?

Or maybe the sentiment was true as of ten years ago, still little use now. So what happens from here? Well, dear reader, your guess is as good as mine. My typically SOASian response would be to disregard all of the above as scare-mongering rhetoric and push on regardless, enjoying the study of these disciplines at institutions such as our own while we can, the coalition cuts and Browne report seemingly looking to snuff them out soon enough, anyway. If Vince Cable had his way we’d all be taking degrees in ‘Sciences’, whatever that is.

other sources) took to the streets of Qinghai, Western China, to protest the systematic eradication of Tibetan language in schools in and around the prefecture, in favour of the more ‘prestigious’ standard Mandarin dialect.

Now, no SOASian will be a stranger to the ongoing struggle for cultural and political autonomy in

vented here in a move that will deal another swift, silencing blow to the substantial Tibetan population.

The reform bill proposes to extend the educational policies that have been implemented in other Tibetan regions of China, removing all usage of Tibetan from lessons and textbooks, save in Tibetan tuition.

Yes, it would make the state language mandatory in the nation’s schools, allowing them the opportunity to communicate and work anywhere in the largest growing economy in the world. But in Britain, 92% of the British population (estimated at 62 million in early 2010) is AngloSaxon and English remains only the de facto language – Welsh, Irish, and Scots Gaelic still retaining their cultural prevalence. Compare this to the fact that only 77% of China are ethnically Han Chinese and one can see where the problem lies.

Why bring this up? Tongren is 23% Tibetan, borders the Tibetan autonomous region, and is part of a prefecture in which six highly populous regions are recognized officially as Tibetan. And yet, in the spite of the overwhelming presence and legitimacy of this culture, its right to exist is denied.

This news comes in the wake of wide-spread unrest plaguing the Qinghai region since 2008, in which the last student protests took place.

Amongst the arrested were monks and members of the political pressure group FreeTibet.

To date there has been no statement issued by region police regarding the arrests, or motivation for doing so.

Liam Slater 296574@soas.ac.uk

SOAS is the only European institution to offer a bachelor’s degree in Tibetan, which eloquently illustrates the example of multi-culturalism SOAS sets to other British, and indeed Western, higher-learning institutes. However, it is also woefully summative of the greater trend of Tibetan cultural genocide occurring in Chinese-occupied territories, and the wide-spread unwillingness to do anything about it.

Tuesday 19 October, in a rare display of confidence from citizens

“ Britain, 92% of the British population is Anglo-Saxon and English remains only the de facto language... compare of the PRC, 1,000 stuthis to the fact that dents (number ranging only 77% of China are to 3,000 with data from ethnically Han Chinese ”

Tibetan regions in the so-called ‘People’s Republic’, but that is not the issue here; The Chinese constitution pledges to protect the inalienable rights of the individual ethnic groups that make up the vastness of ‘China’, and that is obviously and blatantly circum-

NOVEMBER 2010

RIGHTS GROUPS BLAST THAILAND FOR LACK OF ACTION ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY Matt Crook 291716@soas.ac.uk

A gap in the Thai penal code is fuelling “an environment of impunity” on the streets of Bangkok and leaving distributors of child pornography free to operate without fear of apprehension, rights groups say.

“The absence of a specific law against child pornography has concrete consequences for the protection of children,” said Eleonore Dziurzynski, public education and communications officer of child rights network ECPAT international, in a statement October 11.

Legal measures to combat child pornography are embedded in Article 287 of the Thai penal code, which prohibits producing, possessing, importing and circulating obscene material for public distribution, commercial purposes or both.

“Due to the broad interpretation of the term

PAGE 4

‘obscenity’, which is not defined, the law serves as a catch-all that provides no clear indication that it covers child pornographic images,” added Dziurzynski.

Under Thai law, selling pornographic material is a criminal offense with a maximum penalty of three years behind bars and a maximum fine of 6,000 baht (£130).

“The lack of a clear legal mandate creates a situation where child pornography can be sold and purchased in the public space without consequence.”

Members of the public have reported that vendors along busy Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok are openly selling DVDs and VCDs of child pornography for as little as 80 baht (£1.60) a disc.

One Thai and two Burmese nationals were arrested October 12 for allegedly selling child pornographic material on Sukhumvit Road, but observes say the authorities are not doing enough to get beneath the surface of the issue.

“The sale of such material is a blatant and serious violation of children’s rights, and it must not be tolerated for another day,” said Tomoo Hozumi, representative in Thailand of the UN Children’s Fund.

“Despite social media coming alight with comments from furious members of the public, media coverage of the issue has been minimal ”

Authorities should investigate where and how these videos are being produced and distributed in Thailand, added Hozumi.

Chariya Phongvivat, Plan Thailand’s child rights adviser, said arrests must not end at raids on market stalls.

“There have been arrests before. The police traced back to the sources, which are usually in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. They distribute the porn mainly through websites with paid members. The children are usually trafficked, homeless or marginalized, such as those living along the border,” she said

Despite social media coming alight with comments from furious members of the public, media coverage of the issue has been minimal and observers have reported that child pornography is still openly on sale in Bangkok and other major tourist cities, such as Pattaya.

Rights groups have now called for the general public to stay vigilant, despite measures by authorities to protect children from violations remaining insufficient.

“What can people do as they see this on the street? They can notice and let others know,” said Laurence Gray, World Vision’s regional advocacy director for Asia-Pacific. “They can also engage with groups working for an alternative future for child and their communities. Avenues are available for donation of time, resources or support needed to bring change.”

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WORLD VIEW

MUSINGS BARE-FACED DEMOCRACY Esther Spitz 252240@soas.ac.uk

On the 14th September 2010, the French assembly voted in favour of the ‘law against the burqa.’ Effective from spring 2011, it sanctions the ‘non-disclosure of one’ s face within the public space’. Breaches to this policy will be met by a €150 fine and/ or a ‘citizenship course’. The punishment for those caught enforcing the Burqa on another citizen, is a year in prison combined with a €30,000 fine.

The debate about religious signs within French state-related spaces is nothing new. Civil servants, according to the principle of secularism, must not display their religious preferences when working and since March 2004, ‘conspicuous religious signs’ have been banned from state schools. However, there is something unusual in this new law: it is practically - although not explicitly - directed against the Muslim community.

The Minister of Defence, Michèle Alliot Marie, defended the proposal during various sessions of questions to the government on the grounds that, when imposed on someone, the all-covering headscarf is an ‘offense to human dignity’, thereby constituting a serious attempt to constrict women’ s freedom and a violation of their human rights. However, the main purpose of the text is to ‘maintain the French social pact’ and to reaffirm the fundamental values of the Republic which the government feels is threatened by the rise of the spectre ‘communatarianism.’

But why exactly has this law come into the limelight?

In terms of society, the problem has

matured through the various social institutions such as education, elections and unions. For more than a generation the French model of assimilation, this attempt to stifle the identity of diverse groups, has failed. It has left minorities on the margins of social institutions and has led them to regroup around communitarian symbols. Policy makers have been trying to cope with this phenomenon, hesitating between ignoring it, accepting it or rejecting it. Perhaps, this law is an attempt to ‘legalise’ the situation.

We could just blame Sarkozy.

At present he is pursuing a policy of ‘one announcement a day,’ allowing him to raise grave debates amongst the opposition and the public.

This focuses their attention on fundamental defining questions while the government can pursue its institutional reforms, its cuts under the radar, and on keeping certain people happy.

During the last elections, Sarkozy won over a large part of the extreme rightwing electorate – to avoid losing these votes, he has to content them somehow.

And then there’s the legality of the whole thing.

The French republic contains a large number of unapplied laws - either because they are obsolete, or because the decrees necessary to their application remain unaltered. Over the last few years, many ‘essential’ laws voted by the government are still rendered non-applicable for this reason. Moreover, this particular law presents many practical problems - how to define clearly the public space and whether diplomatic tensions with women from the Arabian Peninsula will be exacerbated to name but two.

So, although this law raises serious questions as to the shifting orientation of French internal policy, as well as to the boundaries of the state’ s power over the private realm, it may just be an ‘announcement effect’ likely to remain unapplied.

RAPE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF WAR Gloria de Waal-Montgomery 249014@soas.ac.uk

From systematic rape in Bosnia, to an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 raped during the twelve month massacre in Rwanda, to the rape by Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait, it is high time that rape and other forms of sexual violence as a tactic of war be recognized for the crime against humanity that it is. Perhaps the word “war” is more evocative than the benignly sounding euphemism “conflict” which would liken rape to an argument with a co-worker at the office instead of mass murder and destruction.

While both sexes suffer from war-rape, women and children are disproportionately affected. Such sexual abuses are an integral part of war that is too often neglected. It is only in recent years that the strategic use of rape has come to occupy a more important focus in international political dialogue.

The discovery of “rape camps” or “rape factories” in the former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s thrust the issue into the international spotlight. Such camps showed that rape was not simply a consequence of war, but rather was used as an intentional means to humiliate, punish, control, inflict fear, and displace communities. Rape was also used as a form of ethnic cleansing i.e. by impregnating Bosnian women, Serb men were able to change the ethnic balance of the region. Thus, rape came to be seen as a modern weapon of war.

When committed against women, rape also hu miliates and demoralises men – the

use of honour-killings being a case in point. In cultures where a woman subjected to rape brings shame to her family, there have been reports of suicides and of fathers killing their daughters to avoid dishonour.

Rape victims continue to be affected long after the war or conflict has come to an end and peace has been restored; it plagues both the mind (lasting psychological trauma and negative self-image is a key problem for victims) and body (often in the form of HIV/AIDS and other sexual diseases) of those subjected to this monstrous crime.

Governments must be rendered capable and politically willing to prevent these acts of sexual violence. However, official responses remain tepid and ineffective.

As rape is a weapon of war, conflict resolution tools must be successfully employed to undermine its usefulness. Although international courts now recognize rape as a war crime, there is not sufficient political will at present to tackle this issue. Furthermore, rape by peacekeepers is still a very negated issue – a deeply disturbing reality that challenges the whole concept of international responsibility and security.

Despite the role governments must play, the problem is one of much greater depth. We need to take a bigger perspective and look at what it is that ultimately causes rape – not that war leads to rape but rather what is it within the human psyche that permits rape to take place.

NOVEMBER 2010

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MISCONCEPTIONS OF WAR Nick Rodrigo 213890@soas.ac.uk My first experience of modern day weapons of devastation was at an air show in Duxford. I am, as middle class as it gets, son of a cardiovascular scientist and PCT leader.

That “squeezed middle” as David Cameron likes to put it. Colossal jets stormed across the sky as their engines approached the sound barrier, their sidewinder missiles and air-to-surface cluster bombs brandished on the underbellies of these imperial, steel sky hawks. Little did I know that just across Europe and the Mediterranean basin, in the land where for over one and a half thousand years three of the world’s largest Abrahamic religions have been at each other’s throats, these jet fighters were carpet bombing flimsy Palestinian houses with white phosphorus and cluster bombs,

first encounter with these machines left an indelible mark on our minds.

The first encounter for the children of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan with these beasts of war would ripping apart houses, schools and leave them terrified, scarred, burnt, bodies alike. The fear which must limbless, parentless or dead. have filled the air of Ramallah, Gaza We often deplore those pilots who and Nablus must have been toxic. drop bombs and fire missiles at Not that abstract fear one feels after inanimate apartment blocks and watching a horror film but a very small clay villages. Their disconreal, ever present, nection with “they paint soldiers as suffocating terror. this industry This can be directly victims of the conflict their of death they contrasted with are perpetratgovernments have the ambience of undertaken with good inten- ing sickens Duxford. Awe and us. However tions” amazement was in our socipainted across the ety a negafaces of me and my brothers as tive label is never attached to these these jets stormed across a crisp instruments, they are never stigmaCambridge sky. I can remember my tized in quite the way they should older brother Chris, stating his ambe. Instead they are distinguished bition to become a pilot in the RAF as works of human ingenuity. We after this very moving piece of miliare not in the militaristic societies tary propaganda as we climbed into of yesteryear where warriors are our rusty Renault Savannah. Our glorified and wars are celebrated

however war is fêted in a subtle way. David Cameron speaks of the dead soldiers coming back from Afghanistan as having made a huge sacrifice for their country. Hollywood films do not award soldiers with warrior status as tapestries would have done hundreds of years ago. Instead they paint soldiers as victims of the conflict their governments have undertaken with “good intentions”. War and death are so inexorably linked yet by glorifying the dead soldiers in the way we do seems to gift warmongers ideological fuel to perpetrate these crimes.

For society, the premise and ideology of our current war on terror is idiotic and illogical. The troops are misguided patriots. The fallen are untouchable heroes. Immortalized because they died in military garb.

The civilians of these nations we are warring in receive a status only when they are ripped to pieces by our bombs and bullets, and that status is a statistic.

BIG BROTHER DOT COM John Pillay 233871@soas.ac.uk Let’s face it, the internet isn’t the most exciting of things. If you’ve got this far into the article you’re probably a geek.

I don’t mean to say it doesn’t pipe us a whole host of weird and wonderful things, but the internal mechanics are a bit mind numbing. Over the past few years a debate has been brewing about how best to control the ways in which we access and share information in the digital world.

In April this year, the UK Parliament passed the ‘Digital Economy Act’, which was designed to give more power to ISPs (internet service providers) to block sites and people involved with internet piracy. While it was received well by the owners of copyright material, there was opposition from civil society and liberty groups, with some MPs also voicing concerns. It has been attacked as being rushed and passed during a wash-up period in a late night session.

Concerns have been raised, both from within and from outside Parliament, about the issues surrounding what constitutes, and who decides, what is evidence of infringement of copyright and thus a ban from the internet.

In the bill, the decision has been left to

the ISPs and not the judicial system.

The ‘Open Right Group’ (http://tiny.cc/ f2npa) has drawn attention to various parts of the document that are illiberal and against the very basis of the legal system in this country. The opposition to the bill and the internet, as well as lobbying from media businesses in regard to the bill, is part of a wider emerging argument concerning how the internet will develop as a part of our lives.

I don’t really need to sing the merits of the Internet. We have seen that the ability of the web to connect people across the globe (allowing for the sharing of information) has certainly changed the world we live in. The videos and images beamed out of Iran and Burma over the past few years have been extreme examples of how the Internet can change the power relationship between civil society and the state; Wikileaks has continued to strive for transparency on everything over unfair corporate competition to the actions of governments at war.

Technically, the Digital Economy Act, as it stands, gives the government the power to block Wikileaks from these

shores (as most of the material they leak is copyrighted). Proponents of the bill have said that this would not happen, but technically the law calls for the site to be blocked. This highlights the difficulty of policing the Internet without restricting the freedom it has given us.

The difficulty of applying the law to the internet illustrates the extent to which it changes the economy of information.

For artists and musicians, the ability to share their work is an exciting prospect for many - you just need to log onto MySpace and to see the amount of unsigned bands sharing their works. But for the creative industries, there must be a change in where they find their revenue sources as films and albums

still need to be financed.

Cory Doctorow, a Canadian blogger who has championed ‘open rights’, posed the question of whether the idea of intellectual property and copyright itself needs to be changed to better allow sources of creativity to blossom. In the past this creativity has been prevented due to entry costs.

The decisions we make today, and the laws we pass in relation to the internet will set a precedence for the future of this medium. It has the ability to completely change the economy of information and give voice to those who have appeared voiceless in society – both at home and across the globe.

Yet, it could also simply end up being a

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MUSINGS

DOMESTIC WHY YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT CUTS...

Bernard Goyder George Osborne is implementing the steepest cuts to public spending since Lloyd George’s last government between 1921 and 1924. The justifications for this policy are that Britain’s debt is unsustainable and must be reduced as soon as possible. The main criticism of the cuts is that this relentless focus on deficit reduction, like the Thatcher government’s war against inflation, is putting the interests of a few already wealthy people above the ‘National Interest’ of society as a whole.

The national debt, which was quite high under New Labour, grew to astronomical proportions as a result of the 2008 collapse of the banks, when the government was forced to prop up banks like HBOS and RBS. What is intriguing is that the new coalition government have done little to change the systemic failures of regulation that led to the collapse of the banking system. Indeed, it can be argued that much of this focus on deficit reduction is to placate a group of financial workers in the city, the rating agencies, whose job it is to inform buyers of national bonds how good Britain’s credit rating is. Currently it’s at AAA gold standard (although so were some of those US mortgages that screwed up the world in the sub-prime crisis!), but the government claims if we don’t savagely reduce our debt within a 5 year period, our rating will go splat and we will end up like Greece, the ‘Oliver Twist’ in the IMF workhouse.

Thus, the main justification for the government’s economic policy is based on the same reverence for the financial sector that led the country and the world to near oblivion only two years ago. To put it crudely, ‘unless we cut current spending in most departments by 25-40%...we’ll piss off some bankers’. Of course this line of attack can be parried by the fact that it’s cheaper and fairer to pay of our national debt now, rather than force our children’s children to deal with it. Unfortunately, there are three problems with the government’s agenda. First and foremost are the social implications of the policy; second is the long term cost of rebuilding the public sector after these cuts have hit home. Thirdly is the massive rise in unemployment (490 000 jobs to go over five years).

SOAS is a very good place to start when it comes to disgruntlement with the cuts.

Next year, Bengali, Nepali and Zulu will close their doors to new students and Hindi will close as a half-subject, shutting off access to one of the world’s great languages to all but the most committed students. Students are among those worst affected by the cuts. On Radio 4’s Today Program last week, a discussion of the Treasury’s forecast’s about the social distribution of economic pain , (cheery morning listening!) mentioned that one of the worst hit groups was the poorest 10% of society, these people are “not those normally considered the poorest, but are mainly transient workers and “The pain felt by students”. So if one is still trying to work out how Osborne’s macro-economic lightning bolt affects universities is a mi- you consider a) the cuts to SOAS of 80% to the crocosm of the teaching budget and 40% of the main grant, b) whole country” the quality and price of services you have to use, such as increasing train tickets and decreasing benefits and c) proposals to increase university fees up to £7000.

The pain felt by universities is a microcosm of the whole country. Many of those worst hit are those least able to complain, without access political representation or media attention. For example, if you’re a disabled person being told you will no longer have somebody to wash you three times a week, or a child whose future happiness is dependent on social services to remove them from an abusive home, or a mentally ill person in need of psychotherapy, then cuts to public services will impinge not only on your wallet, but on your dignity and personal well-being. Such cuts cut the most vulnerable in society the worst.

And behind the confidence of the governments predictions (some journalists have cruelly noted only Stalin was hubristic enough to make 5 year plans), is the growing ghost of the Double-Dip recession. Like the Bactrian Camel of the Gobi desert, this double humped leviathan chomps away at green shoots of optimism.

This beasts arrival, here during the 1930s and in Japan more recently, is prompted by the government withdrawing money from the economy, because its short of funds, only to realize that all these laid off workers now require social security, making the benefits budget shoot up. A grim cycle of depression and discontent ensues. Benefits are the biggest item of government expenditure by far, so it’s disconcert- “One positive outcome ing to be laying off workers at a time like this. of this RMS Titanic of a A Tory mingovernment policy will ister in the education be that it will motivate department people to get involved is said by a in politics at the local civil servlevel” ant to have toasted the Spending Review on Wednesday with champagne. One hopes he sent a bottle to all the teaching assistants and school maintenance staff affected by the cuts.

Finally, economic worries about a double-dip recession make the arguments that all cuts are inevitable look slightly shallow. The social cost will be massive, hitting those least able to fight back the hardest. But please, do not despair.

One positive outcome of this RMS Titanic of a government policy will be that it will motivate people to get involved in politics at the local level which it affects you. At SOAS this can take the form of the sarcastic rant to anyone defending cuts that “well, Iraqi politics, Afghan anthropology, African development… hardly priority areas are they?”.

If you beg to differ, get involved with the national anti-cuts movement, spearheaded by an organization set up by Caroline Lucas and Tony Benn called Coalition of Resistance. The SU have also set up campaign called Save Our Studies; get involved and get active.

NOVEMBER 2010

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OFFICIER PROFILES The unorthodox politician Every morning, you will see a stubbly chinned, mop headed, vibrantly attired 23-year-old man slouch into the union full of purpose and direction, albeit lacking in coordination of dress. That’s Jasper Kain. Your head of Sports and Societies.

Many would say that the role of student union politician is a transitory position between one’s educational life and their route into mainstream politics. Our golden topped mayor is evidence of this notion. When asked why students decide to go into union politics, he daintily presents a case. “I don’t feel all sabbatical officers go into this job for that reason, to boost their CV. In many cases it depends on the institution.

“Personally, having studied for 3 years, I felt as if my degree had made me very pensive towards the end. I felt I needed to try and enact the philosophy I learnt as a student”.

Having studied such a thought provoking degree as anthropology and politics Jasper’s political standing has been carved out early in his university life. I, myself, have been made privy to the political metamorphosis that this man has gone through throughout the years we have known each other. How does he leave his opinions at the door when he enters SOAS whilst wearing them so brazenly on his sleeve outside the job?

“Certainly, the position comes with certain responsibilities, but beyond that there is an amount of leeway and room to express political sentiment. As far as my philosophy is concerned, yes you can map it, but it is essentially humanistic - a respect and passion for humanity, bringing happiness to humanity and address injustices that people face.” Indeed, a truly predictable, even generic answer. And it will have to suffice for our bearing on where Jasper sits politically for the moment, however as the year progresses one cannot help but sense the clashes between this highly opinionated character and others within the union that may come as he possibly lets loose his proud stance on certain policies.

Jaspers manifesto was full of promise and hope for a new kind of sports and society management, whether he will be able to strike a balance between spreading the union’s low funds to its vast amount of societies is yet to be seen. He does reiterate that it is possible to strike a balance between the social rigors of his job, such as event organization, and the traditional political activism that exists within the union. “I don’t see my job as defined purely by political stuff and social events. We are lucky here at SOAS in that what we are taught is socially minded, we put on shows and parties that intertwine culture, politics and socials”.

It would be unfair to aggrandize the tenure of this brand new co-president just yet. However, having enjoyed a successful fresher’s week this year, not to mention the constant stream of live music that has permeated ears within the JCR since the beginning of the year, and with such an active and successful university career behind him, the sky may indeed be the limit for this unwavering, albeit unorthodox, politician.

Name: Matt Richards Age: 21 Position: Entertainments

So, Matt, why did you run for Entertainments Officer?

I got involved with ‘Love Music Hate Racism’ in the 1st year. I hadn’t really wanted to get involved in student politics at first but loved the idea of putting on gigs for friends by friends. The first event was such a success that I made me think of all the possibilities, this and my increased involvement with the union led me to where I am now. I really feel I have learnt a lot about the way the union functions, and am much more conscious of the difficulty of pleasing everyone. There needs to be a balance of providing for the SOAS regulars and reaching out to those who don’t usually attend these events.

What have you got planned for the year ahead?

Given the quality of music of SOAS, I have been trying to create links between groups and societies within the school to get the best possible events. I really see myself as more of a catalyst than an organiser. I want this to be as participatory a project as possible. In this vein, the Friday before reading week there is going to be a festival held by three societies in the JCR, G2 and the SOAS yurt. There will be reggae, Congolese music, poetry, storytelling, food, dancing and fun for all. The aim is to raise money and awareness but also to reach out to the local community. We should be a community centre as well as a place of learning; we all need to benefit from our time at SOAS as well as from our degrees. Life starts now.

You talk about participation, but how can people get involved?

I really would like to see as many people as possible get involved this year.

Look out for the dedicated entertainments sections on the union website.

It will be up soon! And don’t hesitate to email me; I would really love to hear any input.

As a re-elected officer, what advise would you give to someone hoping to run as Entertainments Officer?

Firstly, don’t be put off by SU politics, and be prepared; this job can be as time consuming as you make it. The reward is working with some of the most enthusiastic members of the union and trying to combine peoples’ massive creative energies to create the degree defining mash up that we all want from SOAS.

PAGE 7

SOAS SPIRIT

CULTURE SOUND OF SOAS Michael Pote-Hunt As the scorching sun bore down on a Sunday afternoon in late July, Khyam Allami stepped out on to the BBC Radio 3 stage at WOMAD festival. For the next hour or so he escorted the hearts and souls of the audience on a musical tour of the Middle-East, this was my inaugural oud experience. I caught up with Khyam as term begun to discuss his music and influences.

Born to Iraqi parents in Syria in 1981 Khyam was raised in London from the age of nine.

From an early age he was surrounded by middle-eastern music, but soon gave up his Arabic roots as he became influenced by western rock taking up the guitar, bass guitar and drums. He listened to punk and progressive rock bands such as Soundgarden, Melvins, Killing Joke and Tool.

There was something about the epic quality of this music that appealed to him. It was about big ideas, concepts. Stuff like Dark Side of the Moon. The same principle applies to Indian music, or Iranian music, or middleeastern music, it’s a journey. “But whilst punk proved cathartic it was not always positive. There aren’t many loud heavy

bands that have a positive energy and I don’t mean that in a cheesy new age way, I mean that they don’t have an inner message.” It was in 2003 during the “shock and awe” campaign of the early Iraq war that Khyam was reintroduced to his roots and picked up the oud. “All of a sudden your families country of origin starts being in your face all the time, and when you see it being bombed, and being destroyed and you see so many people dying you can’t help but be affected by it...If you want to be an honest person you have to confront these things”.

From then on Khyam dedicated himself to his instrument. He enrolled in SOAS music department, an important step in his career. “SOAS gave me the space and time to study the oud.

Since then he has gone from strength to strength recently performing at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. However, he remains down to earth. “I know my level of oud playing compared to others. I know people who are much better than me, they’re my friends!” However his speedy rise to fame in the world music scene is remarkable with his heritage possibly being behind this. “For me, my

success has been in a way because of my origin. As my English is good I have the ability to be in between the two cultures. But this world music thing and this kind of pat yourself on the back multi-culturalism makes me annoyed most of the time because it’s

about, “look at us we’re cool!” In my case I’ve been busting my balls and when you work hard people have faith in you.”

of timbre and expanse of expression on this instrument mark him out as a supreme musical talent. It is no exaggeration to equate his performances to that of Hendrix and Santana. Such musical comparisons fail to convey the individuality of Landu’s style but act as helpful markers of this instrumentalist’s level of immense skill all the same.

The film received a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival and a wealth of reviews have described the film as a deeply interesting and stirring feature.

In live performance Staff Benda Bilili exude an aura of cool off-hand talent and make occasional reference to their handicap, acknowledging this association as a key aesthetic of their image.

Tracks such as ‘Polio’ are nuanced with a doubled sense of melancholy and optimism for the future. Indeed the band’s name, Staff Benda Bilili translates as ‘look beyond appearances’, a direct reflection of their artistic intention

to encourage understanding and acceptance among all peoples. Yet there is a strong risk of creating spectacle in the portrayal of the bands disability in this film. Staff Benda Bilili’s music alone marks them out as remarkable artists, and their unusual back-story is and should be presented as secondary to this. This issue is a line the film-makers will have to tread carefully in order to pull off a biographic slant.

The UK release date of the film has been moved on several occasions, leaving eager fans excitedly waiting for a November 2010 general release date only to be disappointed. The latest information available online suggests the release has now been delayed even further in order to coincide with the bands UK tour in spring 2011. So keep your ear to the ground for further information, ‘Benda Bilili !’ looks set to be one of the most charming and intriguing

Well said Khyam!

DO NOT MISS: ‘BENDA BILILI!’ Rachel Jackson 289721@soas.ac.uk A new feature film documenting the rise of the Congolese band, ‘Staff Benda Bilili’ to international fame premieres in the UK at the 54th BFI London Film Festival this month.

Staff Benda Bilili are an ensemble of street musicians from the urban soundscape of The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital city, Kinhasa. The band’s debut album, ‘Très Très Fort’ offers up a collection of thick funk and blues-infused grooves combined with infectious rumba sensibilities and an occasional laidback reggae feel. The music is at once riotously energetic and gently lilting. The band were a main-stay on 2010’s summer festival circuit across Europe. Their performances at both Glastonbury and Womad were tight and slickly delivered.

Staff Benda Bilili’s music is un-paralleled and reflects a chasm of influences whilst trade-marking an entirely new

and unique sound.

The film, ‘Benda Bilili !’ is the result of five years of work by French filmmakers Florent de La Tullaye and Renaud Barret. The work is filmed in the grounds of the Kinhasa zoo where the band live and rehearse and attempts to sensitively portray the lives of the band members and their struggles with handicap, poverty and personal issues. The band is composed of four lead singers and guitarists all of whom are paraplegic and perform on stage on customised tricycles. The rest of the band is made up of ex-sheges - abandoned street children, who the older of members of the band took under their collective wing. The youngest band member at eighteen years old is Roger Landu who plays a home-made instrument called a satonge. The instrument is made from a milk can, a piece of wood and a tightened wire. Landu’s use

NOVEMBER 2010

PAGE 8

SATIRE NEWS IN HAIKUS

THAILAND ARRESTS FLIP-FLOP VENDOR Aydan Stuart

Melissa Foy-Triggs Cheap SOAS bar made Possible by sponsorship From Coca Cola.

New SOAS campus Unveiled in the yurt to Fight the budget cuts.

SOAS TIMETABLING 2010: MY STORY Margaux Schreurs SOAS, in their infinite wisdom – wisdom which has most likely developed from some kind of postcolonial glorification and amalgamation of various bizarre eastern ‘spiritualities’ – decided that they’d get their administration issues sorted out once and for all this year, by moving enrolment procedures online. You may suspect that this might not be the greatest way to make things run smoothly. You’d be right.

I chose my modules online before summer, but wanted to change a couple of them. Not the biggest spanner to throw in the works, especially considering that all the modules involved in this switch were part of my course structure.

Apparently, though, SOAS’ new system doesn’t allow faculty office staff to know which modules are for which degree. The Faculty Office minions told me that I wasn’t allowed to take ‘two floaters’. I told them that those modules weren’t floaters. They scuttled off to check with an imposing authoritative figure. Then scuttled back to me. Then back to Mr. Authority. It goes on...

On Wednesday mornings, I have a class. Nothing wrong with that. Except that another module also appeared on my timetable in that time slot. I don’t study the new mystery module, and never signed up for it. I decided that it would be best to just ignore it – I didn’t want to make things more complex than they already were. That was a mistake. I got an email asking why I wasn’t attending the mystery module’s lectures. Back to The Faculty Office...

WOMEN’S SOCIETY LAUNCH NEW CAMPAIGN Joe Buckley

I liked the miners More when they were underground Now they’re too mainstream.

The SOAS Women’s Society has launched a new campaign for the new academic year – and it’s already attracting lots of support.

The Terror Wrist Campaign has been set up to draw attention to the physical dangers women’s wrists face in today’s job market. Campaign organisers argue that women are receiving a dangerous amount of cuts, bruises, and slit wrists from having to constantly smash through glass ceilings. One of the campaign’s founding wmembers commented, ‘Men do not face these workplace hazards, so do not have to worry about it. This issue must be one of the biggest, but unnoticed, workplace dangers for women.’

The campaign has created a lot of support amongst other students. The Women’s Society attracted a lot of new members at the Fresher’s Fayre, partly due to the new campaign. One fresher, who wishes to remain anonymous, commented, ‘I saw the Terror Wrist posters around the JCR and thought that I needed to be a part of it. It’s so hard being a woman now that we’re expected to get real jobs, and I’m glad that someone is finally drawing attention to the added physical danger that this puts us in.’

A second feature of the campaign aims to raise funds to restore the glass ceilings after they’ve been smashed through. ‘Some of the ceilings, especially stained glass ones, are very beautiful, and it would be a shame to let female ambition destroy that rich cultural heritage,’ a campaign spokesperson commented.

Sometimes, government censorship may be for the greater good. True to form, earlier this month Thai police arrested Amornwan Charoenkij for selling flip-flops adorned with images of Thailand’s Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Thai government reused their beautifully choreographed and subtle tactic of barging in and arresting her - a smooth way to deal with the problem quickly and without drawing too much attention to it.

The charge for making sandals with the PM’s face on was Section 9(3) of the Emergency Decree, which bans ‘any means of communication … which may instigate fear amongst the people, or which distorts information which could affect the security of the state or the good morals of the people.’ A marvellously patriotic and moral bill, to curb acts like Amornwan’s. The military-installed government is not being scary – they just want their citizens to not live in fear.

Amornwan is a Red Shirt (antigovernment) supporter, and says the PM deserves the soles of her feet. In Thai culture, feet are offensive and unclean. Very clever, Amornwan, but we wouldn’t want the PM losing face. She must have caused some serious disruption to the running of the country. It is highly offensive to Thais after all, and those flip-flops are terrifying. It would have upset the PM so much that he probably forgot to sign some important documents.

1-0 to the Red Shirts, again.

Well, not really. But I suppose they have the moral victory. And that’s what should count. It’s like football - everyone hates the red team, but they always get the back page. Or, in this case, a quarter of a page buried somewhere deep inside the paper.

PAGE 9

SOAS SPIRIT

SPORTS ILLUSIONS OF SPORT DESTROYED James Jacob 215032@soas.ac.uk

I returned from the Far East the day before the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lords. I went to see a friend and then drive to Wales with him for a birthday party, a perfect weekend was planned.

We awoke the next morning to see 18 year old Mohammed Amir with support from the brilliant Mohammed Asif destroy England. I have never seen better fast bowling; Amir took four wickets in eight balls while at the other Asif’s metronome like accuracy ensured no easing of the pressure. Aside from the off form Pietersen wafting casually outside off stump none of England’s finest have themselves to blame, simply put it was the finest display of bowling seen at Lords for twenty nine years.

My friend Peter and I got into the car shell-shocked with England reeling at 102-7, and then slowly Jonathan Trott of South Africa (he plays for England thanks to English descent) and Stuart Broad of Nottingham dug in and piled on the runs. 332 for the ninth wicket! We couldn’t believe it, there hadn’t been a fight back like this in our

lifetimes, we listened on a battered old radio in Snowdonia as cricket history was made. This was a story to tell the grandchildren about in our dotage.

Then the papers came the next morning, the News of the World

“It is hard to express how this made cricket fans feel, a legend was snatched from us”

announcing that the players, Asif and Amir under the orders of their captain Salman Butt had taken money to bowl no-balls at certain points during that incredible second day.

It is hard to express how this made cricket fans feel, a legend was snatched from us. Instead of the story being one of incredible performances on both sides, of brilliant bowling and batting at the home of cricket, that perfect ground in North London, it was a story of scandal and greed.

I am not here to pass judge-

Disgraced cricters: Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif

ment on the Pakistani players, neither the corrupt, incompetent and laughable Pakistani cricket board which had the gall after the match to accuse the English team of match fixing with no evidence whatsoever. I am writing because I feel cheated.

The joy of sport is seeing the best of two nations or clubs playing each other at their best, of men or women with godlike abilities testing each other to the utmost. How can we be swept away into this spectacle if there is the spectre of corruption loom-

ing over the game?

When people talk of the England Pakistan test at Lord’s they will not talk of Asif and Amir bowling so beautifully or Trott and Broad mounting a rearguard action for the ages, they will talk of a sting by the News of the world, of corrupt betting agents, of sleaze and scandal. What a great shame that is.

KENYA’S SAFARI SEVENS Jan Fox 257876@soas.ac.uk As a Kenyan (this is a somewhat controversial topic which need not be discussed, but for now, and the sake of this rather brief article, I may be regarded as Kenyan), I understand the passion illustrated by Kenyan Rugby’s rather illustrious fan base. From Hong Kong to Adelaide the country’s celebrated sevens team has always taken with it an animated mass of loyal supporters, and for good reason. Within the last couple of decades Kenyan rugby has prospered, particularly in the sevens form of the game.

In 2009, a century after the first rugby match was played between British officials and settlers, Kenya reached the semi – final of the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Dubai. Some feat, especially considering it was only their third appearance in the tournament.

In the recently held Commonwealth games in Delhi they managed to beat the favourites Samoa to finish on top of

their group. They’re thus clearly making waves on the international stage, and one doesn’t have to be in Nairobi to sample the enthusiasm surrounding this much-loved group of players. That said though, there is one local event which never fails to exemplify the fans’ fervency. The Safaricom Safari Sevens.

It is a tournament contested by numerous national sides representative of Africa and beyond, attracting professional and non-professional outfits alike. When Kenyan rugby was new there existed a dependency on an influx of foreign touring sides to provide ample competition for local teams.

With the coming of professionalism in the 1990’s, however, such tours all but dried up and something had to be done to sustain the improving level of rugby in the region. Thus, in 1996, the Safari Sevens was established. Today it attracts an interesting collection of teams, including the Emerging Boks

Kenya’s Colins Injera, left, vies for the ball with Russia’s Stanislav Bondarev

(South African A team), London Irish and sides from as far away as Japan and Fiji. What began as a relatively small scale affair has truly escalated into Africa’s largest sevens tournament.

It’s the highlight of the continent’s rugby calendar, and an excuse for the Kenyan rugby clique to voice their undying support and drink plenty of Tusker. (Without a doubt the best beer in the world!)

What of the future though?

The KRFU (Kenya Rugby Football Union) was once associated with official indifference and a general lack of resources. What it always did possess, however, was an abundance of enthusiasm, and this has facilitated the development of rugby in the country

on the whole. The KRFU has found a way of promoting the national team by hosting the safari sevens which attracts a handful of foreigners, thus exploiting what is undoubtedly Kenya’s greatest economic asset - tourism. This year alone, over twenty thousand came to watch the competition, and it’s a figure which will almost certainly rise as the event roles past its fifteenth anniversary. What’s even more encouraging is the integration of rugby into public primary schools, an initiative which began two years ago. The Union has clearly identified the importance of locating and nurturing talent from an early age, creating a foundation for the development of this increasingly popular sport.

NOVEMBER 2010

PAGE 10

BEYOND BORDERS: GHANA

RESULTS ULU LEAGUE 16.10.10 Football 1s- 1-1 St Georges Medical School 1s Football 2s: 2-1 versus LSE 6s Football Women’s 1s: 2-0 Royall Holloway 2s

Men’s Football 2s- 2- 1 Royal Free and University Medical School 3s Men’s Football 1s 2 - 0 Royal Holloway 1s

31.10.10 Women’s Football 1s- 3-5 St Georges Hospital Medical School 1s

18.10.10

BUCS LEAGUE

Men’s Basketball 1s : 39-32 Royal Holloway 1s

13.10.10

Women’s Basketball 1s: 59-13 Imperial College London 1s

Men’s Rugby 1s: 12-13 Kingston University 2s

20.10.10

20.10.10

Football Men’s 2s: 3-3 Royal Veterinary College 1s

Men’s Rugby 1s: 10-24 Kings College London 2s

23.10.10

Men’s Squash 1s: 2-1 Essex 2s

Football Men’s 1s: 4-4 Kings College London 1s Football Men’s 2s: 6-1 LSE 6s

24.10.10 Football Women’s 1s: 18-1 vs Royal Free and University College Medicine School 2s

25.10.10 Women’s Netball 1s: 23-12 LSE 6s

30.10.10

Women’s Squash 1s- Default Victory versus Kent 1s Men’s Tennis 1s: 2-10 Kent Tennis 1s

27.10.10 Women’s Squash 1s: 1-3 Essex Squash 1s Men’s Squash 1s: 1-2 Queen Marys Squash 1s Men’s Badminton 1s: 2- 6 Universities at Medway 1s

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM CRUISE TO 18-1 VICTORY SOAS women’s football team recovered from their opening day set back against Royal Holloway to pummel RUMS, setting all time records along the way.

Any pre-match anxiety about their previous loss was set aside quickly as the ladies netted their first just 3 minutes into the game. Before veteran midfielder Ekin Oklap quickly bagged a second.

The onslaught continued till half time with SOAS racking up an impressive 10 without reply.

The second half began and

any hopes of an Istanbual-like come back were dashed when débutante Chloe Vatikiotis poked home an 11th.

Adding to the grand total was Silvia Ciannella (6), Hanna Ajer (5) and Joyce Nicholls (6) from the left wing. The only response RUMS could muster was a bumbled attempt a few minutes from the final whistle.

Now any nerves about the opening day defeat have been over come captain Iselin Heggedal may find her biggest problem is choosing who play out of her squad of invincibles

Symeon Brown 220580@soas.ac.uk Between 1st – 23rd September 2010 15 student footballers from SOAS, lead

by Toib Olomowewe (BA Economics & History), travelled across Ghana and participated in grass roots organisation with local NGO’s and community groups. The group also engaged in cross-cultural and political dialogue with students and collated research on local perceptions towards education and development in the Southern regions of Ghana - all of which was facilitated by using football as the medium of exchange.

SOAS Football Beyond Borders is a SOAS student lead project that uses the universal game of football to engage with communities across the world with the objectives to: include the voice of grassroots communities within the academic debate, break down barriers and prejudices, champion education, and create a transnational network of students dedicated to international development.

Paul Agyeman-Duah, a Sociology and Political science undergraduate at the University of Ghana, reiterates the importance of the tour by stating, “In a global village international and cross cultural dialogue is important, football is a great means for this,

football unites people, and football truly goes beyond borders”.

The students travelled all over Ghana during three weeks playing 7 football fixtures, running voluntary projects, and engaging in debate with students. The tour started in Legon at the University of Ghana before moving to Kumasi, where the team played Kumasi Polytechnic. The next stop was Elimina, where they played against the University Of Cape Coast and worked with the S.A.B.R.E trust; a local NGO that is improving the educational infrastructure in rural communities. The tour was concluded in the coastal village of Kokrobite, where a friendly match was organised with Ghanaian 1st Division outfit Kokrobite United. In Kokrobite the team volunteered with the Kokrobite Chiltern Centre (KCC) that supports primary education in the village.

The KCC was co- founded by Jane Zohoungbogbo who commended the project as ‘a great effort’.

Timothy Omacar also participated and said ‘travelling to Ghana was eye opening and the reception was amazing. We were interviewed on local radio and a national TV station came to feature the tour. Beyond Borders was definitely a huge success’.

A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES

Poetry: I loved being in your rooms, on your streets, under your roof of cloud,

I looked into your centres and took trips in your busloads of languages,

And on some sad winter day I’d stroll the parks, picking out shapes of us

and when the grey gave way all your shifting histories circled up into the deep light blue,

got caught in your wishing-well of faces and sat still in damp flats by pale gasfires,

through dark leafless trees, reeling in your wide silences and far enough away

that easy kind of blue even our hearts would be happy to be made of.

hearing everything everwhere hiss together and pass through.

from your new machines, always calling us back to feed them.

Chris Gutkind is the Evening Supervisor at SOAS Library.

A collection of his poems, Inside to Outside, was published in 2006 by Shearsman Books.

A selection of his work can be found at poetrypf.co.uk and recordings at poetcasting.co.uk

PHOTOS BY SPENCER CHUMBLEY 247978 | IF YOU ARE A SOAS PHOTOGRAPHER, WE INVITE YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR IMAGES