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Table of Contents:

   Loyalty pledge to Britain urged for all cultures                                
     "ben moretti" <bmoretti@chariot.net.au>                                         

   December 2001                                                                   
     Le Monde diplomatique <dispatch@monde-diplomatique.fr>                          

   Sklyarov released, company not                                                  
     Mikael Pawlo <mikael@pawlo.com>                                                 



------------------------------

Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 17:00:15 +1050
From: "ben moretti" <bmoretti@chariot.net.au>
Subject: Loyalty pledge to Britain urged for all cultures 


http://www.guardian.co.uk/racism/Story/0,2763,617395,00.html

Loyalty pledge to Britain urged for all cultures 

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
Wednesday December 12, 2001
The Guardian 

A new agreed concept of citizenship, including a formal statement of allegiance,
is needed to help bridge the polarisation between the white and non-white communities
that exists in Britain's towns and cities, says the official Home Office inquiry
report into this summer's northern city riots. 

The report of the inquiry into the riots in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford, chaired
by Ted Cantle, Nottingham's former chief executive, also proposes that church
and other faith schools should offer at least 25% of their places to pupils
of other faiths and all schools should avoid more than 75% of their pupils from
one culture or ethnic group. 

The Cantle report makes clear that the root cause of the summer riots lies in
a segregation in Britain's towns and cities which is so deep that "many communities
operate on the basis of a series of parallel lives". Extremist groups, including
the British National Party, exploit the fear and ignorance generated by this
gulf to undermine community harmony and foster divisions. 

It says the failure to communicate between communities is compounded by the
lack of an honest debate as people in all communities "tiptoe around" the sensitive
issues of race, religion and culture. But the report also stresses that the
majority white community must make as much of an effort as minority ethnic groups
in improving their understanding of other sections of society. 

The report criticises weak leadership from political and community figures who
suffer from "back home politics", calls for quicker police action to stamp out
potentially inflammatory marches and assemblies, and condemns "postcode" discrimination
by private employers; it also highlights the need to "bust myths" about the
distribution of government grants among white and non-white communities. 

But Cantle's most startling recommendation is his support for the introduction
of a statement of allegiance, similar to that used by Canada for new citizens,
which would establish a "clear primary loyalty to Britain". He calls for a debate
over what common elements now make up British "nationhood". 

"This might revolve around key issues such as language and law. For example,
a more visible support for anti-discrimination measures, support for women's
rights, a universal acceptance of the English language (particularly important
in some areas) and respect for both religious differences and secular views."


The use of English, which is already a pre-condition of citizenship, should
become more rigorously pursued with appropriate support, it adds. 

"A meaningful concept of 'citizenship' needs establishing - and championing
- - which recognises the contribution of all cultures to this nation's development
throughout its history, but establishes a clear loyalty to this nation. This
is, after all, the responsibility of citizenship and a clearer statement of
allegiance, perhaps along the lines of the Canadian model should be considered."


The Cantle report is critical of the failure of all political parties to ensure
full representation of all minority groups. 

But perhaps its strongest recommendations are in the field of education, where
the review team found monocultural and single faith schools where the intake
was almost 100% from one ethnic background. 

It says that all schools should be under a statutory duty to promote respect
for the cultures in the school and neighbouring areas, including twinning arrangements
to compensate for the lack of contact with other cultures. 

The report of the group of ministers, chaired by the Home Office minister John
Denham, and published at the same time as the Cantle report yesterday, made
clear that developing policies with the specific aim of community cohesion is
to become an explicit objective of government when it comes to decisions over
schools, housing and neighbourhood renewal. 

The report echoes much of the analysis of the Cantle report, describing different
communities having retreated into segregated "comfort zones" partly out of fear
of racist attacks and a lack of choice about housing, jobs and schools. 

The Denham report also stresses the importance of government taking the necessary
measures to prevent disorder arising from the activities of far-right organisations.
Mr Denham said in some cases that the ability for the police to respond to rumours
of activity by extremist organisations was as important in preventing disorder
as stamping down on actual racist activity. 

Main points
· Segregation has left many communities operating on the basis of parallel lives


· National debate needed on new concept of citizenship, including oath of allegiance


· Faith schools and mono-cultural schools should have no more than 75% of pupils
from single group 

· All towns and cities to develop community cohesion strategies including "myth
busting role" 

· Regeneration funding should not assume ethnic minority group needs are greater
than others 


- -- 
ben moretti 
mailto:bmoretti@chariot.net.au
http://www.chariot.net.au/~bmoretti

news and events in adelaide: 
http://www.active.org.au/adelaide

   __o   
 _`\<,_  
(*)/ (*)



------------------------------

Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 12:22:22 +0100 (CET)
From: Le Monde diplomatique <dispatch@monde-diplomatique.fr>
Subject: December 2001 


   Le Monde diplomatique 

   -----------------------------------------------------


                          December 2001

                          In this issue:
   Palestine as Israel's last best hope, US love-in with Russia
   and China, alienation in the Gulf, Horn of Africa on the US
    terror list, plus Noam Chomsky on terrorism, weapon of the
     powerful... also Lenin and Stalin: the last great Tsars,
   Nicaragua: denying the revolutionaries, the euro that people
    don't trust, no recession in the European flesh trade and
           why VS Naipaul doesn't deserve his prize...



The world's new look

by IGNACIO RAMONET

                                        Translated by Ed Emery

       <http://www.en.monde-diplomatique.fr/2001/12/01newlook>


UNITED STATES, GLOBAL BULLY

Terrorism, weapon of the powerful *

by NOAM CHOMSKY

     The leaders of the United States do not realise that
     their desire to win at everything always has
     consequences, and that their present exploits are likely
     to have high future costs. Osama bin Laden was the price
     of the US victory over the USSR in Afghanistan. What will
     be the next bill due?

                                      Original text in English



BUSH MAKES A BALFOUR DECLARATION AND RETRACTS IT

Palestine: Israel's last best hope

by DOMINIQUE VIDAL

     After 11 September the United States put pressure on
     Israel, and President Bush made his own Balfour
     declaration, promising a Palestinian state beside Israel.
     But the Hamas attacks at the start of December changed
     all that. Yet Israel will suffer badly if Ariel Sharon
     does destroy the Palestinian Authority.

                              Translated by Wendy Kristianasen


   <http://www.en.monde-diplomatique.fr/2001/12/03palestine>


Concrete realities *

by AMIRA HASS

                              Translated by Wendy Kristianasen



'MY COUNTRY WILL NOT BE AMERICA'S GAS PUMP'

Gulf states: ambivalent allies

by our special correspondent ERIC ROULEAU

     The war in Afghanistan winds down, but new targets are
     being selected in Washington. The Iraqi question is thus
     back on the table. But any US action against the Iraqi
     regime risks further inflaming Arab and Muslim opinion,
     weakening the position of the Gulf leaders.

                                    Translated by Linda Butler

       <http://www.en.monde-diplomatique.fr/2001/12/04gulf>


WISH LISTS OF WASHINGTON, MOSCOW AND BEIJING

A trio of soloists *

by GILBERT ACHCAR

                               Translated by Malcolm Greenwood



WHY THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOVIET PAST

The history of the Russian future *

by MOSHE LEWIN

     The Soviet system created in 1917 finally collapsed a
     decade ago with Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation, and was
     replaced by the Russian Federation. But we still do not
     understand what the Soviet system was like. What was the
     relationship between Stalinism and Tsarism? How did
     conservatism and bureaucracy defeat the need for reform?
     Russia now is divided between nostalgia and rejection of
     its past.

                                    Translated by Barry Smerin



ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA UNDER NOTICE FROM THE US

Horn of Africa: al-Qaida regroups?

by JEAN-LOUIS PENINOU

     Sudan and Somalia are likely to be on Washington's list
     of world terrorist targets, and it could also launch
     military operations in the Horn of Africa, where
     al-Qaida's links are well-established, although little
     known.

                                      Translated by Lorna Dale

       <http://www.en.monde-diplomatique.fr/2001/12/07horn>


EURO: GODLESS, STATELESS AND UNTRUSTWORTHY?

Hard cash *

by BRUNO THERET

     The euro acknowledges no higher political or symbolic
     authority, only the market. Its guarantor is not God, nor
     a nation, nor established mutual trust but an
     unaccountable technocratic institution: the European
     Central Bank.

                                  Translated by Barbara Wilson



ORTEGA 'A FRIEND TO UNITED STATES ENEMIES'

Wasted sacrifices *

by our special correspondent RAPHAËLLE BAIL

                                    Translated by Julie Stoker



Nicaragua: a revolution forgotten *

by FRANÇOIS HOUTART

     Arnoldo Alemán's government is unprecedentedly corrupt
     and so the Sandinista National Liberation Front seemed to
     have a chance, with its moderately reformist plans, in
     the November presidential election. It lost.

                               Translated by Malcolm Greenwood



EASTERN EUROPE EXPORTS FLESH TO THE EU

The Natasha trade *

by FRANÇOIS LONCLE

     There are thousands of desperately poor women from
     eastern Europe working as prostitutes in western Europe,
     often controlled by gangs of criminals making enormous
     profits. But the EU has no coherent strategy to help
     these women, or internationally agreed laws to deal with
     their recruiters, their pimps and their punters.

                                   Translated by Luke Sandford



A business of bodies *

by FRANÇOIS LONCLE

                                   Translated by Luke Sandford



NOT WORTH THE PRIZE

Naipaul in denial *

by PASCALE CASANOVA

                                   Translated by Luke Sandford




     ________________________________________________________________
_

     (*) Star-marked articles are available to paid subscribers only.

     Yearly subscription fee: 24 US $ (Institutions 48 US $).

       ______________________________________________________________


       For more information on our English edition, please visit


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     English language editorial director: Wendy Kristianasen
     _______________________________________________________

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1997-2001 Le Monde diplomatique


------------------------------

Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 23:29:04 +0100
From: Mikael Pawlo <mikael@pawlo.com>
Subject: Sklyarov released, company not

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011213/tc/russian_programmer_1.html

"Charges will be dropped against a Russian computer programmer accused of
violating copyrights on  software made by Adobe Systems Inc. in exchange
for his testimony in the trial of his company, a spokeswoman for the
programmer said Thursday."

Regards

Mikael

_________________________________________________________________________

  ICQ:35638414                              mailto:mikael@pawlo.com
  +46-704-215825                              http://www.pawlo.com/



------------------------------

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