AfricaNow! January 25, 2023 Challenges to Colombia's Petro Administration—Structural Racism, Class, and Conflict

Topic and Guests: When inaugurated on August 7, 2022, Gustavo Petro became the first leftist president and Francia Márquez became the first Afrodescendant vice president in the Colombia's history.  Lawyer, Afro-Colombian human-rights and environmental activist Francia Márquez is also the second woman vice president in Colombia's history.  In midst of what observers see as a new chapter in the country’s political history, Colombia faces many challenges such as the continued violence against human rights defenders, and Afrodescendant and Indigenous activists.  So far in the 5-month-old Petro administration over 60 activists and human rights defenders have been killed. (Colombia activist murders reach record high of 199 this year, by Reuters, The Guardian, December 7, 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/07/colombia-murders-human-rights-defenders-record)  Other challenges include improving the lives of marginalized population of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities; making the society more equitable; fully implementing the 2016 peace accord between FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the Colombian government; negotiating peace with various illegal armed groups and more.  

Today AfricaNow! features a recentl conversation on Colombia with Airlin Pérez and Gimena Sánchez exploring challenges to country’s 5-month-old Petro administration such as structural racism, class, and conflict.  Airlin Pérez (Airlin Pérez Carrascal) is an anti-racist human rights defender and community organizer. She is the Executive Director of Untú Raices Foundation, an organization that mobilizes grassroots groups and Afro-Colombian communities in Cartagena, Colombia, to promote peace and racial justice.  Airlin Pérez is also part of the Movement of Black and Neighborhood Women.  Her work focuses on police brutality against young Colombians in marginalized neighborhoods, and structural racism against young Black women in a context of State violence.   Airlin Pérez is currently a Fulbright Humphrey International Fellow at the University of Minnesota.  Gimena Sánchez, Director of the Andes at Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); she is the leading Colombia human rights advocate at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“RUMBA CHONTA” BY GRUPO BAHÍA; during break--“KELÉ” BY FATOUMATA DIAWARA; during sign-off message--“KURIMA” BY CHIWONISO MARAIRE; closing song is--“MAMA AFRICA” BY COLOMBIAFRICA--THE MYSTIC ORCHESTRA FEAT. DALLY KIMOKO & NYBOMA.

Support AfricaNow! and your community station WPFW.  Donate online visit https://pledge.wpfwfm.org/index.php and then on Step 1: Contribution scroll down to AfricaNow! to make your donation to the show. Or on our CashApp, which is $WPFW write it is for AfricaNow! and include your email address. Thank you.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photo of Gustavo Petro, and Francia Márquez from https://theconversation.com/colombia-gustavo-petro-and-francia-marquez-have-achieved-a-historic-victory-for-the-left-so-who-are-they-186221

AfricaNow! Jan. 25, 2023 Challenges to Colombia's Petro Admin.—Structural Racism, Class, & Conflict

This week’s CHANGEMAKER is JESSICA SMITH, Nature Lead at the UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME FINANCE INITIATIVE (UNEP FI), based in Geneva.  

As Nature Lead, Jessica is involved in pioneering work to develop collaborative partnerships between the global financial sector and indigenous and local communities.  We only have until 2030 to bring our societies back into harmony with nature, and indigenous groups are vital stewards of the world's biodiversity and carbon storage.  Jessica is helping design innovative financial mechanisms such as biodiversity credits, insurance products and debt for nature swaps to recognise and reward indigenous conservation efforts.  

JESSICA SMITH: "We are not only in a climate emergency, we're in a nature emergency which is accelerating the climate emergency."

MUSIC | Power of Nature by Jonathan Slatter (PRS), Sounds Visual Music Ltd (www.soundsvisual.com/)

PRODUCTION | In association with the Monthly Barometer | Producer/Presenter - Catriona Oliphant for ChromeRadio | Post-production - Catriona Oliphant & Chris Sharp.

COVER IMAGE | Man from the Mashi Conservancy, a community-based natural resource management area in north-east Namibia, holding a local variety of truffle.  With kind permission of Jessica Smith.  For information on the Conservancy: https://www.nacso.org.na/conservancies/mashi.

FURTHER INFORMATION

United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative | https://www.unepfi.org/
Principles for Responsible Banking | https://www.unepfi.org/banking/bankingprinciples/
Principles for Sustainable Insurance | https://www.unepfi.org/psi/
Biodiversity Credit Alliance | https://www.biodiversitycreditalliance.org/
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues | https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2.html

ChromeRadio | https://chromemedia.co.uk/
Monthly Barometer | https://monthlybarometer.com/

Power of Nature PRS Tunecode: 286114HQ

CHANGEMAKERS 02 | J Smith, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative

AfricaNow! October 16, 2024 DRC—The Power of Community Organizations

Topic and Guests: In the spirit of WPFW’s Fall Pledge Drive theme—The Circle Unbroken: 47 Years of Being in Community—AfricaNow! focuses on the knowledge, resilience and commitment of community organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  These organizations work with the community on frontlines of conflict, mining extractive industry, rainforest, and more.  We begin the show with a presentation by Samuel Yagase of Group of Village Organizations for Autonomous Development (GOVA) and filmmaker Petna Ndaliko of Yole Africa.  Both are members of Basandja Coalition which is touring the U.S.  The presentation a few weeks ago was sponsored by General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church and Friends of the Congo.  Maurice Carney Executive Director and a founder of Friends of the Congo joins the show to discuss the power of local, grassroots organizations in the DRC making a difference. 
 
MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“INDEPENDENCE CHA CHA” BY GRAND KALLE.
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Support AfricaNow! and your community station WPFW during our Fall Pledge Drive October 14 to November 3.  Donate online visit https://pledge.wpfwfm.org/index.php and then on Step 1: Contribution scroll down to AfricaNow! to make your donation to the show. Or on our CashApp, which is $WPFWFM write it is for AfricaNow! and include your email address. Thank you.

Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

AfricaNow! Oct. 16, 2024 DRC—The Power of Community Organizations

The world in context | Informed comment on global issues

New tracks tagged #Indigenous communities