From fredr@hawaii.edu Mon Feb 3 14:15:21 1997 Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 11:14:42 -1000 From: Fred Riggs To: ETHNIC-L Alan Spector Subject: My paper and an UNHCR press release on Eastern Zaire (fwd) Colleagues: At the risk of being presumptuous, let me tell you that I have just finished the draft of a paper called, "The Para-Modern Context of Ethnic Nationalism." My argument is that the rise of ethnonational conflicts and related turmoil, such as we see in Rwanda today, is not a resurgence of past conflicts but a new form of growing menace for the world that has evolved out of the processes of modernity (industrialism, nationalism, and democracy). The first part of my paper seeks to demonstrate the validity of this proposition by discussing how each of these three processes has affected the dynamics of ethnic conflict. The second part of the paper takes up the different aspects of modern ethnic conflict, distinguishing between "diversity" as a condition relevant to the situation of most immigrants in any country who seek to become good citizens well integrated into its social system, and "cleavage" as a different condition generated by ethnic minorities who reject the status of citizens in the land where they are living and seek sovereignty or at least a fundamental change in their roles and relationships. I also touch on a third kind of modern situation caused by "imperial migrations" -- i.e. the movement of workers and traders responding to the needs of imperial/industrial projects (plantations, mines, factories, markets) generated by the emergent pressures of industrialization and imperialism. Furnival called the results a "plural society," but since "pluralism" has been coopted as a synonym for "diversity," I use "plurality" to refer to the special conditions generated by imperial rule. One of the most perplexing and tragic contemporaory manifestations of "ethnic conflict" has arisen in Rwanda (and Burundi) where we see "ethnoclass" conflict, more than ethnic nationalism. The following current report from the UHCR shows how serious this problem is. I forward it for your information -- unfortunately, conflicts of this intensity are unlikely to fade away -- they will continue to escalate and challenge us to understand the long-term dynamics which drive them -- they are not just temporary difficulties of the "post-Cold War" period -- they have much deeper but not necessarily "primordialist" roots, I believe. If you want to see my paper, I'll send it to you -- or you may find it on my Web Page. I'd like to get your comments but please don't use ETHNIC-L for this purpose -- it's primary goal is to support the exchange of information about how to get information related to our research interests -- how I'm sending this to Race-Pol also, and you could send any comments on that list. Many thanks and all best wishes, Fred ************************************************************ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1997 05:59:41 -1000 From: Susanne Schmeidl Subject: (Fwd) UNHCR press release on Eastern Zaire (fwd) Susanne Schmeidl, Ph.D. Coordinator Prevention/Early Warning Unit Centre for Refugee Studies York University York Lanes, 3rd Floor 4700 Keele Street North York, Ontario Canada M3J 1P3 416-736-5883 (phone) 416-736-5837 (fax) schmeidl@YorkU.CA ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 18:23:10 -0400 From: Len Wong Reply-To: No title defined Subject: (Fwd) UNHCR press release on Eastern Zaire (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:55:06 +0100 From: Fabienne Philippe To: refuge@yorku.ca Subject: UNHCR press release on Eastern Zaire From: The UNHCR NGO Unit Subject: UNHCR Press Release on Eastern Zaire (24.1.97) UNHCR WORRIES OVER REFUGEES IN EASTERN ZAIRE The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed grave concern today about the refugee situation in eastern Zaire. #The options are limited and stark, and things are getting worse not better, #said High Commissioner Sadako Ogata in a statement issued in Geneva. UNHCR is coordinating relief efforts for more than 200,000 refugees in Shabunda, Tingitingi and Amisi. It is looking at ways of repatriating those who want to go home. Delivery of emergency assistance remains difficult.In Shabunda, the airfield is waterlogged five out of seven days a week. UNHCR, the only agency present in Shabunda, has managed to set up health facilities with assistance from locals and refugees and reactivate and chlorinate water systems unused since agencies departed in December because of security conditions However, despite best efforts of UNHCR and its partners, Ogata said it was impossible to meet even the lifesaving needs of the most vulnerable refugees. Insurmountable logistical difficulties in operating in refugee hosting areas are compounded by lack of security for people in need and staff of international agencies. #There is now a trickle of food coming through the international organizations,#said UNHCR#s Dillah Doumaye, who heads operations in the region, referring to some areas. #However, the situation is extremely precarious, and if things do not improve, we will head toward a humanitarian disaster.# Many refugees, especially children, have already died from malnutrition or disease. In addition, the refugees risk finding themselves in the midst of war, as the conflict in Zaire movescloser to them. #While UNHCR, with its partners, is continuing to do what it can, and is in contact with authorities at the highest level, humanitarian organizations alone have little influence on events that threaten the lives of large numbers of refugees, and indeed of many Zairian civilians,#Ogata said. Another problem is that many refugees remain under the control of the former Rwandan leadership, elements of which are armed. Separation of these people and the refugees is even more difficult now than in the previous camps. Many refugees have indicated to UNHCR that they wish to repatriate to Rwanda. But repatriation would require a safe passage through the conflict zone and security and assistance along the route. From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Wed Feb 19 13:36:34 1997 X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 14:36:20 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Fw: meeting to oppose French Fascism (for those interested) >From Alan Spector, REVS Editor/Manager: The following appeared on another e-mail network. It will probably interest some REVS members. ====================================================================== Dear colleagues, Veuillez trouver ci-joint un message dont j'appuie le contenu avec vigueur. Please find enclosed a message which I strongly support. message from Jean-Marie Brom Directeur de Recherches Strasbourg (France) JMB@CRNHP3.IN2P3.FR From the 28th to the 30th of march 1997, the french National Front will organize its annual meeting in Strasbourg, town of the European Council and European Institute for the Human Rights. The National Front founds a major part of its racist and xenophobic program on pseudo-scientific arguments : - Jean-Marie Le Pen's declaration on the inequality of races. - "In ecology, it is known that two different species cannot occupy the same ecological site" (Declaration by A. Lindbergh to justify the expulsion of immigrants). - Use of the book "The Bell Curve" to justify inequality from a racial point of view. - ... We think that scientists should react and reaffirm that science cannot be used as a justification for a political program. We are asking you to join in this process. We will publish the list of scientist who will agree to reject the use of scientific research to found a discriminating policy. If we are numerous enough, we are thinking of organizing a working meeting in Strasbourg on march 28 about "Sciences and Politics : the case of the National Front" TEXT : We scientists want to reaffirm that science and scientific results should not and can not be used to justify a policy with any aim of discrimination between men. If differences do exist between men and women in your planet, they are based on age, culture, geography, social environnement..., but can in no case depend on a supposedly racial difference, which is anyway scientifically impossible to define clearly. The example of the Nazi policy of extermination of Jews is still there to remind us that scientific justification of racism and exclusion can only lead to the destruction of what makes us human beings. We want to affirm clearly that the racist policy of the french National Front does not depend on any scientific basis and we will refuse any kind of research leading to scientific justification of any racial discrimination. Simply send me a mail in agreement, stating your qualifications, field of research, and if you think possible to join in a seminar in Strasbourg on march 28. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MAIL TO YOUR COLLEAGUES... THANK YOU Jean-Marie Brom Directeur de Recherches Strasbourg (France) JMB@CRNHP3.IN2P3.FR --------------------------------- Du 28 au 30 mars 1997, le Front National reunira son congres a Strasbourg, ville du Conseil de l'Europe et des Droits de l'Homme. Le Front National base une grande partie de son programme raciste et xenophobe sur des arguments pseudo scientifiques: - Declaration de J.M. Le Pen sur l'inegalite des races - "En ecologie, on sait que deux especes differentes ne peuvent occuper la meme niche ecologique" (Declaration de A. Lindbergh pour justifier l'expulsion des immigres). - Utilisation du livre "The Bell Curve" pour justifier l'inegalite sur un plan racial. Nous pensons que les scientifiques doivent reagir et reaffirmer que la science ne peut etre utilisee pour justifier un programme politique. Nous vous demandons de vous associer a cette demarche. Nous comptons publier la liste des noms des scientifiques qui seront d'accord pour refuser l'utilisation de la recherche scientifique a des fins de politique discriminatoire. Si nous sommes assez nombreux, nous pensons organiser une journee de travail a Strasbourg le 28 mars pour reflechir ensemble sur le theme: Sciences et politique : le cas du Front National. TEXTE: Scientifiques, nous voulons reaffirmer que la science et les resultats scientifiques ne doivent ni ne peuvent etre utilises pour justifier une politique ayant pour but la discrimination entre les hommes. Si les differences existent entre les hommes et les femmes de notre planete, elles sont basees sur l'age, la culture, la geographie, le milieu social, mais ne reposent en aucun cas sur une supposee difference raciale, qui est impossible a definir de maniere scientifique. L'exemple de la politique nazie d'extermination des juifs est la pour nous rappeler que la justification scientifique du racisme et de l'exclusion ne peut mener qu'a l'aneantissement de ce qui fait de nous des etres humains. Nous voulons affirmer clairement que la politique raciste du Front National ne repose sur aucune base scientifique et refuserons toute recherche allant dans le sens de la justification scientifque d'une quelconque discrimination raciale. Envoyez simplement un message d'agrement en precisant vos qualites, champ de recherches, et si vous pensez pouvoir participer a un colloque le 28 mars a Strasbourg. Faites circuler ce message aupres de vos collegues... Jean-Marie Brom Directeur de Recherches JMB@CRNHP3.IN2P3.FR >