From beyond the grave, Fela Kuti‘s Movement of the People – the political party under which he ran for president of Nigeria ( think “Black President”), calling on the masses to reject the corrupt and tyrannical rulers across the African continent – has been reborn today.
DirectFrom Fela HQ:
Fela’s Movement Of the People lives today.
Fela Kuti was defamed, jailed, and beaten for his refusal to stand down in the face of corrupt and oppressive regimes. He started his own political party, The Movement Of the People, and wrote a corresponding track – a call to action – called “M.O.P. (Movement Of The People) Political Statement Number 1.” If he were alive today, he would be proud to watch the people of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Cote D’Ivoire, and Sudan, among others, who are fighting for their political and personal freedoms. Like him, they are ready to pay a heavy price to for their transformative subordination.
Come join Fela’s Movement of the People, M.O.P., and stand in solidarity with the people of the world fighting for their rights.
Check the official website to get involved – they’re offering a bunch of downloads and more, as well as a slew of parties and events coming up around the campiagn.
Below enjoy the song that spawned the movement:
M.O.P. (Movement Of The People) Political Statement No. 1 by knitrecords
African Animals: The Economist Gets Lazy, Leo DiCaprio Gets Busy
The Economist, one of Africa’s longtime patronizers (just last week they disturbingly referred to Botswana as “Africa’s Golden Boy“), posted a slide show of zoo animals with a single sentence: “During the war in Libya, the animals of Tripoli’s zoo suffered along with the rest of the city’s residents.” Take a look for yourself, but we kinda think that these animals look no different than caged up zoo animals all over the world. Are we missing something? What exactly is the story?
The real scoop on Tripoli’s zoo animals and rescue efforts can be found in this New York Times article. As for those who are concerned about animals that roam free on the continent, but still risk traumatization from poachers, don’t fear because apparently Leonardo DiCaprio is on his way to protect them. DiCaprio is stepping up as a global ambassador for the International Fund for Animal Welfare‘s “Elephants Never Forget” campaign. This initiative will raise awareness of the illegal trade of elephant ivory.