Upcoming conference on Chagos

On May 19, a conference on Chagos will be held at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, England. It is organized by best-selling novelist, Philippa Gregory, and conservationist and adventurer, Ben Fogle.

Cultural anthropology participants include David Vine of American University, who will present in the morning, and Sean Carey of Roehampton University, and Laura Jeffery of Edinburgh University, who will co-present a session on the size of the extended Chagos population (the original inhabitants of the archipelago and their descendants), its distribution (Mauritius, Seychelles, the U.K. and other European countries including France, Belgium and Switzerland) and how Chagossians see their future in Chagos.

Jeffery holds an ESRC research fellowship, titled “Sustainable Resettlement and Environmental Conservation: A Collaborative Approach to the Right of Return to the Chagos Archipelago.”

Among others participating are marine scientists Mark Spalding of Cambridge University and John Turner of Bangor University, as well as John Howell, a former director of the U.K.’s Overseas Development Institute.

The science editor from the Daily Telegraph (U.K.) contacted Sean Carey, and they have published a balanced article.

Here’s to a bigger boat

In case you didn’t know, there is a list of 100 objects that reveal the history of Ireland. One of the objects on the list is a very, very large and long oak canoe. It was highlighted in an article in the Irish Times this weekend along with a striking photograph (below). Dated to 1902, the photograph shows the canoe on its way to the National Museum of Dublin.

The canoe was discovered in a bog in County Galway the previous year.

Anthropologyworks contacted a local expert, Bob Maguire, who is of Irish descent. He is also a cultural geographer and associate professor of international affairs at Trinity Washington University, D.C. He gave these exclusive comments about the canoe and its environmental implications to aw:

I always knew that the Irish were not tree huggers. I imagine this ancient scene: “Ok, lads, let’s cut down this last of our mighty oaks and make it into a boat that will never be used for anything practical.”

The story of Ireland’s mighty oaks and their disappearance leads one to think of the section in Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse, describing how the Easter Islanders likely logged out their forests to facilitate the transportation and placement of the giant stone totems for which the island is known today.

Similarly, in building ceremonial canoes from the island’s giant oaks, did the early Irish contribute significantly to the disappearance of their island’s majestic trees, perhaps at a time when climate change was just beginning?

Possibly. But they had no idea.

Next time I raise a glass, I’ll toast those amazing ceremonial canoe makers, who may even have added stabilizers so they could float safely after having tilted a few glasses themselves!

Japan: Looking ahead to recovery

Guest post by Jin Sato

On April 4, 2011, the Asia Society and the Japan Society co-sponsored a Japan town hall meeting in New York City to discuss questions related to the recent earthquake. Several prominent experts constituted the panel which was moderated by Fred Katayama. Topics and questions for discussion were formulated by Jin Sato of the University of Tokyo and visiting democracy and development fellow at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, Princeton University.

The event was taped and can be viewed by clicking on the image below.

Questions were clustered into three areas in order to generate broad discussion about the disaster’s impact on Japanese politics, economics and social life, as well as to assess the extent of the uniqueness and historical significance of the changes for the Japanese people, and for Japan as a nation:

1. Japan’s Reliance on Nuclear Energy: The Politics of Risk Sharing

Japan has only 20 percent self-sufficiency in primary energy supply and more than half of that is nuclear power. Historically, the main rationale for advocating nuclear power was to enable Japan to be more self-sufficient. More than 30 years ago, during the incidents of “oil shock” and petrochemical shortage in the 1970s, the Japanese people learned the lesson of dependence on fossil fuels. Given the magnitude of the ongoing catastrophe, questions such as these arise:

Is it time to question Japan’s dependence on nuclear energy as the primary domestic source of electric power?
Given this kind of catastrophe, is it appropriate for Japan to allow the private sector to continue to manage this kind of high-risk operation?
What should be the role of the government?
How do we democratically control high-risk operations?
Will a growing awareness of the inequitable distribution of risk lead to the Japanese public questioning of the reliance on nuclear energy?

2. The Future of the Japan Brand: Economic Fallout of the Disaster

Historically, the myth of superior Japanese technology has prevailed and even in this tragic series of events, the international community was shocked to discover the failure of the “failsafe” Japanese nuclear technology and safety mechanisms. Questions include:

Will this incident signal the beginning of the end to the myth of Japanese technological superiority?
What will be the impact of the current nuclear crisis on Japan’s reputation as a high-tech exporter and more generally on the “Japan brand”?

Continue reading “Japan: Looking ahead to recovery” →

Chagos: get it right about the reefs

Diego Garcia (Chagos Archipelago) British Indian Ocean Territory. Credit: Flickr/Drew Avery.

Guest post by Sean Carey

A recent BBC Radio 4 broadcast, a programme on coral reefs, included misleading information about the Chagos Archipelago, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The gist is that the amazing health of the reefs in the Chagos region can be attributed to the absence of human habitation.

The subliminal message is that repatriating the Chagossian Islanders, who were evicted from their homeland by the British authorities to make way for the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, will endanger the reefs.

Is this genuine marine science or sheer politics masquerading as marine biology?

Because the right of return of the islanders is now before the European Court of Human Rights, many supporters felt that this naive environmentalism could not left unchallenged.

A letter was drafted and several amendments were made to it before a copy was finalised and sent to BBC complaints.

Anthropologists Thomas Hylland Eriksen and Sean Carey signed the letter, along with many others including several luminaries including broadcaster, Ben Fogle; bestselling historical novelist, Philippa Gregory; environmental campaigner and botanist, David Bellamy; and former leader of the UK Liberal Party, Lord Steel.

Sean Carey then sent the letter on to the Mauritius Times so that it would gain the attention of a wider public.

“Although I wrote the introductory paragraphs, my name shouldn’t have been put at the top as I am just one part of a ‘galaxy,’ but too late now.”

Note from the blogger: Sean, you are too modest by far.

Sean Carey obtained his Ph.D. in social/cultural anthropology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is currently research fellow at the Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (Cronem) at Roehampton University. He writes for the Guardian, Mauritius Times, New African and New Statesman.

Response, recovery and social dimensions of the disaster in Japan

Mayumi Sakamoto on left. Credit: FEMA. — Mayumi Sakamoto on left, New Orleans, La., March 3, 2011. Credit: FEMA.

Guest post by Mayumi Sakamoto

As of March 18, the situation is very serious in Fukushima prefecture due to the nuclear power plant problem. The complex after-effects of the tsunami are disturbing the entire S&R (search and rescue) efforts and related disaster response activities, as well as creating problems for economic activity, agriculture, the environment and people’s lives.

In Fukushima, many people are making amazing efforts, in spite of clear health risks to themselves, in order to prevent the situation from worsening.

The DRI dispatched our expert team on Monday to Miyagi prefecture to support the local government. We will continue our operation for the next several weeks.

So far, the recovery of infrastructures is just amazing. After one week, electricity, water-supply, roads and the banking system are recovering. In terms of resilience of infrastructure I would say we are very resilient.

On the other hand, the many evacuated people are in a severe condition, and these displaced people will face many long-term challenges.

The disaster-affected area in Japan is one of the most well prepared area for tsunami. But planning was based on reasonable estimates which, in this case, nature has exceeded. So how can one be prepared for such massive destruction?

The DRI believes we have to pay keen attention to social impact of the disaster and find a way to establish some framework to analyze it. I am collecting information regarding to this disaster in national level and also trying to establish archives for this disaster. I am also interested in learning about relevant experiences from other post-earthquake/disaster situations to learn about how to address the social impact including many displaced persons.

Mayumi Sakamoto, who holds a Ph.D. from Kyoto University, specializes in disaster recovery assistance (particularly in Aceh during the 2004 tsunami) and international cooperation at Japan’s Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution.

Nuclear news, nuclear fears and the role of science

Guest post by Barbara Rose Johnston

I received last week copies of two very different publications reporting on outcomes from the scientific assessment of life in a nuclear warzone. These studies consider, first, the health experience of resident populations living in areas contaminated by nuclear weapons fallout, and, second, the health of people as affected by the low-level radiation that accompanies modern warfare.

The first is a set of eight papers published in the August 2010 issue of the journal Health Physics and reflects conclusions from US-government sponsored science about radiation and cancer risks.

The second, a study conducted by an international and independent team of scientists published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, is about the health effects of war on the local population of Fallujah, Iraq.

Appropriate reading, since much news in the past few days has focused on the ceremonies surrounding the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the human suffering associated with nuclear war.

Nuclear worries and concerns have been a major feature in world news for years, but especially so in this first decade of a new century.

A review of today’s global headlines finds reports of fear and accusations over the development of a nuclear weapon in Iran, as well as fears of nuclear war on the Korean peninsula and in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory that lies between Pakistan and India. Fidel Castro’s first address in four years to the Cuban Parliament warns of an imminent nuclear war if the US follows through on its threat of retaliation against Iran for not abiding nuclear-arms sanctions.

There are also hopeful reports on political promises and the potential progress in the struggle to further abolish nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, there are also reports on the lack of progress – for example, the news that the US Senate has again delayed its hearing on a new START Treaty.

The nuclear news also includes “peaceful uses” of atomic energy. The US is reportedly finalizing a nuclear cooperation agreement with Vietnam that would allow enrichment. There are reports of numerous proposals or approved plans for new nuclear power plants in Germany, Egypt, the US, Canada, the Philippines, India, Serbia, Bulgaria, and the UK.

Continue reading “Nuclear news, nuclear fears and the role of science” →

What lies beneath

Possibly trillions of dollars worth of mineral deposits lie untouched beneath the surface in Afghanistan. A recent New York Times report generated a flurry of discussion about whether this subterranean wealth would help Afghanistan and its people or prove to be a “resource curse” that instead brings more violence.

One thing is certain, if the minerals are to be mined, there will have to be substantial infrastructure development (asphalted roads) and security for the mining companies. I can just see Halliburton written all over this, and taxpayer dollars supporting the US military to protect business interests.

A less gloomy and much more informed view than mine comes from long-term expert on Afghanistan, Thomas Barfield, professor of cultural anthropology at Boston University.

A smile so sweet

Could it be Chevron? Suzana Sawyer, professor of cultural anthropology at the University of California-Davis, breaks down Chevron’s multi-million dollar “Human Energy” PR campaign that was launched in 2007.

Chevron is the second largest oil company in the United States and fourth largest in the world. Its ad campaign, which includes television commercials and print ads in magazines and billboards, pitches Chevron as one of us, or better: men and women of vision, people who care about the environment. “I will use less energy,” says an earnest, professional-looking white man while a smiling young African American woman vows to “leave the car at home.”

Sawyer points out that the campaign is probably more focused on investors—on protecting the value of its stock—than persuading individual drivers to stop and buy gas at a Chevron station instead of some other station. In either case, however, the goal is to convince people that Chevron is a positive force in the world and allay consumption guilt.

One group that hasn’t bought the message is Amazon Watch. In 2009, they launched a counter-campaign of “subvertisements” about the “InHuman Energy Campaign.” On their billboards, an Amazonian woman says, “I will ignore the toxic waste pits in my village.” An Ecuadorian woman says,”I will try not to have a miscarriage.”

Shareholder activists are raising their voices, questioning corporate practices from the inside and pushing for greater accountability. Sawyer tartly comments: “This is the power of human energy that Chevron never bargained for.”

Image: “Chevron Shareholder Meeting in Houston,” from flickr user Rainforest Action Network, licensed Creative Commons.

From ecological disaster to constitutional crisis

Guest post by Terence Turner

“Debating Belo Monte Hydroelectric Complex on the Xingu River,” creative commons licensed content by Flickr user International Rivers. March 14, 2007.

UPDATED: Once again, the indigenous peoples of the Xingú valley in the Brazilian Amazon are planning to make the long journey to the town of Altamira*, where the Trans-Amazonica highway crosses the Xingú. Their ultimate destination will be the island of Pimental a short distance downriver from the town, where the Brazilian government plans to build a huge hydroelectric dam they call Belo Monte after the nearest Brazilian village. The Indians’ bold plan, is to prevent the construction of the dam by building a new village directly on top of the proposed dam site and maintaining their occupation until the government abandons its plans for the dam. The planning for the encampment is being led by the Kayapo, the largest and most politically organized of the indigenous nations of the region, but other indigenous groups are also participating.

The Indians, in a bold attempt to prevent the construction of the project, are building a new village directly on top of the proposed dam site, They have vowed to maintain their occupation until the government abandons its plans for the dam. The construction of the encampment is being led by the Kayapo, the largest and most politically organized of the indigenous nations of the region, but other indigenous groups are also participating.

The Kayapo, however, are not waiting for the discussion of the plan for the encampment among the 23 indigenous groups of the Xingú Valley to reach consensus. They have already seized the ferry that carries Brazil Route 80, an important link in the Trans-Amazonica highway system, across the Xingú River at the Kayapo village of Piaraçú. The ferry and the river crossing are now under guard by armed Kayapo warriors, who have announced that they will continue their blockade until the government negotiates with them about their plans for the Belo Monte dam.

This will not be the first indigenous encampment organized by the Kayapo in their effort to stop the building of dams on the Xingú. In 1989, when the government first set out to implement its plan for a giant hydroelectric complex on the Xingú, with financial support from the World Bank, the Kayapo led a great rally of 40 indigenous nations at Altamira against the scheme, setting up an encampment of several hundred Indians at a Catholic retreat center just outside the town. The five-day rally was extensively covered by national and international media, and succeeded in persuading the World Bank to withdraw its planned loan for the construction of the dams.

* See the video, “The Kayapo: Out of the Forest” in the Disappearing World Series, Terence Turner, anthropological consultant, 52 minutes. This video covers the 1989 Altamira meeting and campaign against the Xingu dams. Available from the Royal Anthropological Institute(RAI)
here.

After the 1989 Altamira meeting, the Xingú dam scheme remained dormant, but not dead, for two decades. Two years ago it was revived as the centerpiece of the Lula government’s Project for Accelerated Development. As a Brazilian activist remarked at the time, “These big dams are like vampires: you pound a stake through their hearts but they rise again from the grave and you have to do it all over again.”

Continue reading “From ecological disaster to constitutional crisis” →

Support the Chagossians

The following is a message from David Vine, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at American University:

You can immediately assist the Chagossians by signing the petition by Friday, February 12, to support the rights of the Chagossians and protect the environment in the Chagos Archipelago. Click here for the petition: http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos

The British Government is currently considering the establishment of a “Marine Protected Area” in Chagos. While the idea of protecting the environment in Chagos sounds like a good one, the British Government is using “environmental protection” as a way to further cement the ban on Chagossians returning to their homeland. They are using the name of environmentalism to compound and cover up a grave human rights abuse.

The creation of a protected area in Chagos is a good idea, but it should be done in consultation with the Chagossians. To now, the Chagossians have been completely excluded from the planning process. Elsewhere around the, communities coexist with environmental protection areas. As the Chagossians have long said, if they would be allowed to return to their homeland, they could serve as the best protectors of the local environment, helping to monitor and enforce a Marine Protected Area.

Please sign the petition organized by the Marine Education Trust and supported by the Chagossians (and the UK Green Party, among others) calling on the British Government “to protect both the marine ecosystem of the Chagos archipelago and the rights of its exiled community.”

For more information, go to http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/

Please encourage others to sign and thanks for supporting the Chagossians’ struggle!

Image: “Sunset at Turtle Cove”, from flickr user Drew Avery, licensed with Creative Commons.