One can only imagine the silent gasp many made when hearing the speech of Ben Carson, US secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in March 2017. Mentioning the history of slavery and slave trade in and to America, he said: “That’s what America is about, the lands of dreams and opportunities. There were other immigrants … Continue reading
A lonely car is sneaking through the gravel roads of Joe Slovo West, a township in the north of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The navigation system does not find a way through the alleys, since the streets have not been mapped yet and there are no streets signs either. Whoever is not street-smart here, … Continue reading
Much has already been said about reasons people have voted to leave the European Union – the age gap, the frustration of marginalized working people or those living in rural areas, the anger and disappointment with the Westminster establishment all parties did not seem to address properly. But as a foreign born British resident (an … Continue reading
Brexiteer, n.: A person who supports Great Britain leaving the European Union. B. are easily distinguishable as their language involves the frequent use of subjunctives (example: “If Britain leaves the EU we could…”) and racist language (example: “Immigrants are ruining the NHS”). B. are also characterised by little knowledge or deliberate self-denial of knowledge about … Continue reading
Dresden, Chemnitz, Bautzen, Claußnitz, Freital, Heidenau – only a short time ago these villages and cities in Saxony – apart from Dresden – have been unknown to the wider public. Now they have in only a few weeks gained quite a recognition and media coverage – in a negative sense. In all of them … Continue reading
The New Year’s Eve attacks on women in Cologne not only broke loose a discussion about harassment and sexual abuse in Germany but also a new wave of racism and deep-rooted fear. Many especially right-wing politicians and commentators were head over heels, asking for harsher rules on immigration and faster deportation. While doing so they … Continue reading
What did it take 76 years ago to drive a continent into despair and destruction? Tanks, guns and fascism. What does it take to drive a country into despair in 2015? A rhombus – Angela Merkel’s signature gesture –, a man in a wheelchair and financial fascism otherwise known as neoliberalism. July 13th 2015 could … Continue reading
Normally, I don’t do political posts or throw my opinion on you, my dear readers. I prefer documentation rather then comments as the article of choice. But as it is – the situation in the Ukraine makes me so uneasy, so anxious that I had to write down my thoughts. For clarification why: I am … Continue reading
For some time now I follow the discussion about “The Fifth Estate” a movie about – if you have not heard it yet – Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. The controversial approach focuses on the first files WikiLeaks published and the friendship between Julian Assange and Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Based on the books “My Time with … Continue reading
As a foreigner in South Africa it is interesting to observe how a country deals with the situation where their most prominent leader in history and global icon, Nelson Mandela, is in hospital with his health declining. Mandela is suffering from a recurring lung infection which is probably a result from the harsh conditions on … Continue reading
When I was a child my grandfather taught me to collect the seed of flowers like garden lupines and tagetes. He dried them carefully in his cellar on a dish towel and then stored them in little tool boxes. He harvested potatoes and always kept some of them to let them grow next spring. I … Continue reading
In a previous article I mentioned the documentary Water Makes Money. Having watched the documentary about the consequences of water privatisation more than two years ago on television I recently ordered the DVD to use it with students at university. When ordering the filmmakers informed me that a lawsuit had been filed against the French … Continue reading
Some people say if you repeat something often enough then it will become the truth. Imagine how shocking that is, because it exactly means, that our reality is only what we make out of this world. With other words, everybody just sees what he or she wants to see. Many stories can be told about … Continue reading
Do you actually know what a cubic metre of water costs in your community? I suppose you do not – unless you live in one of the communities in Portugal which experienced a rise in water costs of up to four hundred per cent. Water services had been privatised in the affected communities and according … Continue reading
