Hawks become doves
The ancient sport of falconry is today seeing quite a revival, but amongst the fun and pageantry, political issues are simmering away. A number of falconers are currently petitioning Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, head of the United Arab Emirates Falconers Club and the Hunting and Safari Club. This latter group is involved in negotiations to lease land from the Hadzabe tribe in Tanzania. That in itself is not a problem, as the tribe is amenable as long as they can continue to coexist on it. However, the Tanzanian Government plans to take them off the land and relocate them in ‘shanty towns’.
The tribe of hunters and gatherers, which lives on 4,000 square kilometres of land near Lake Eyasi, is one of the oldest indigenous groups on the planet. Their right to their land and their way of life is under threat, and a storm of protest is gathering worldwide, resulting in the request to Sheikh Hamdan to review the case personally and see that the Hadzabe are treated with respect. This is not the first time that falconers have got together and used their influence to resolve complicated legal issues – the most famous being their contribution to banning the use of DDT in 1972.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
