Ted Turner, speaking at this event: The only solution for the threat of nucleur weapons in the world is:
nobody should have them!
Has the UN got the muscle to make this happen? That's the question.
9/19/2006
Nobody should have nucleur weapons
Dis-United United Nations
Whenever I hear discussions about UN reform, I immediately start singing Fela Kuti’s song, Beasts of No Nation. Beasts of No Nation is the first song Fela wrote after he was released from prison in Nigeria in 1986. This song speaks to me about what this organization really is. In his own words, a Dis-United United Nations.
Will they listen? Perhaps as they did in Rwanda! And now in Darfur. And many more other places. You know what I mean.
After Fela came out of prison, many people wanted him to sing about life in prison. He decided, instead, to sing about the outside world where there are “animals who talk like human beings” (at UN conferences)! The outside world, he sings; while accompanied by hypnotic drums, guitars, horns, etc, is a crazy world.
This is what he says (the original song is in Nigerian Pidgin) about the United Nations and our world leaders “who hold meeting in de place dem call United Nations”:
Many leaders as you see them are in disguise
Animals in human skin
Animal puts on a tie
Animal wears agbada
Animal puts on a suit
These leaders in disguise
They hold meetings everywhere, they reach America
They call the place the United Nations
Hear oh another animal talk
What is united inside United Nations?
Who and who is united for United Nations?
There is no unity between Thatcher and Argentina
There is no unity between Reagan and Libya
Israel versus Lebanon
Iran versus Iraq
East West block versus West block East
Dis-United United Nations
One veto vote isequal to 92 (Or more)
What kind of sense is that, it is animal sense!
---
Meditate on Fela's words. And follow the conversation.
9/18/2006
UN/Reuters/Global Voices: Will They Listen?
On Tuesday, September 19, 2006, Reuters political news editor, Paul Holmes, will discuss with U.N.’s largest private donor, Ted Turner, among other things, UN reform and the media world. This is part of Newsmakers, a series of Reuters events. About 10 years ago, Turner donated $ 1 billion for United Nations programs. Global Voices will participate in the event by sharing your views with Ted Turner. More information about the event, which will be webcast live online, can be found here and here.
Read more!Global Voices: grand prize winner for excellence and innovation
Global Voices receives the Grand Prize for excellence and innovation in journalism (so blogging is journalism, right?) at the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism. What a joy! Read a detailed post at Global Voices.
Last year, Global Voices won a Best of Blog Award.
9/11/2006
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