August Roundup: We're Talking Teams
Newsletter 024 -- Islanding. Neo-Colonialism. Awkward Alliances. Power Shuffling.
We hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!
The fight to unionize continues: One recent success is Star Garden, in Los Angeles, where the dancers have become the first unionized group of strippers in the U.S.
The topic of debt is getting brought up more and more in global affairs conversations. The debt landscape of the Global South is haunted by its colonial legacies. For many of these countries, the effects of climate change compound faster than they’re able to be addressed (mainly due to lack of funding). As we continue to experience the effects of Global Boiling around the world, the push to reform the debt landscape will only get stronger.
Right now, entire structures of power and influence are shifting and leaders around the globe are engaged in a vigorous game of Hungry Hungry Hippo to usurp as much of it as they can. Countries that are new to the international stage, are finding their foothold and becoming nations we can no longer ignore. The game is changing, and more players are interested in leveraging their assets — I hope this means the playing field will even out, allowing us to address pressing global problems together.
“And the way the world is built, it’s never been built for peaceful coexistence. It’s built, in a sense, where it’s about one being right and the other being wrong. So it is a winner versus loser approach. I would say that if you go back and you take the BRICS out of the equation, these questions have constantly been raised from a social justice perspective.” – Sanusha Naidu (listen to her interview below)
Enjoy!
» Islanding & Climate Change
“Lahaina was really the seat of the Hawaiian kingdom, it was the capital before Oahu. And part of the reason that Lahaina was such an important place was because of the abundance of resources and the abundance of water resources in particular. Before the arrival of Europeans in Hawaii, Lahaina was actually known as the Venice of the Pacific.” — Kapuaala Sproat (Quote from video)
Naomi Klein and Kapuaala Sproat discuss here, and in the Guardian essay they cowrote, the term Plantation Disaster Capitalism. This term refers to the contemporary forms of neocolonialism and climate profeteering which is situated in the reality of ongoing settler colonialism, and perfectly describes the current situation in Lahaina after the devastating fires. Hawaii still exists in a colonial context – their resouces are not fully their own and because tourism is their main industry, theyre beholden to non-native companies and developers. The mishandling of rescue and recovery efforts after the fire is another example of island vulnerability to climate change and climate disaster. As the term suggests, their colonial history has led to their precarious circumstances today and it makes them extremely vulnerable to the post-disaster profiteering we’re already seeing. If you havent read Naomi Klein’s Disaster Capitalism, you must! — Alexis
How the Caribbean is Building Climate Resilience
In the era of Global Boiling, it is helpful to take note of the communities and places that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and climate disasters; island nations are one of these groups. There are 13 nations in the Caribbean and they’re all classified as SIDS (small island developing states). What makes them, and other island nations, particularly vulnerable to climate change is their exposed location, relative isolation (we’ve discussed the effects of islanding before, but click here for a refresher), and small size. Climate change disrupts many of the important industries on these islands. The most pressing concerns are for their agriculture and tourism sectors. Floods, high temperatures, and frequent storms have damaged crops, eroded the soil, and caused safety concerns for livestock. Natural disasters (which have become more frequent) can contaminate food and water supplies which lead to an increased risk of food and waterborne illnesses like cholera and malaria (this was a huge concern after the 7.2 magnitude struck Haiti in the summer of 2021). Rising sea temperatures and changing current patterns threaten fishing, which is important to the food security of these islands and is a driver of economic growth. The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, with the industry contributing upwards of $39 billion to the region’s GDP. A 2022 study found that sea-level rises alone could cause a 38-47% reduction in tourism to the Caribbean over the next several decades. The small economies of Caribbean nations tend to be less diverse – often they're highly dependent on imports, tourism, and remittances – making it difficult for them to raise funds for the infrastructure development necessary to preemptively address the effects of climate change, or respond after natural disasters. Some Caribbean nations have created plans for addressing the climate realities they face and have brought these recommendations to the international stage. PM Mia Mottley of Barbados is leading an initiative focused on reforming the global financial system. She is calling on global development banks like the IMF to offer an additional $1 trillion of lending for climate resilience to low-income countries and pushing for debt suspension measures during natural disasters. The third thing she is pushing for in her initiative is that these global development banks create more fiscal space for countries vulnerable to climate change by expanding their grant offerings, rather than focusing too heavily on loans (this is to help alleviate debt anxiety for countries like these). — Alexis
“This song comes out the year after Hurricane Maria (Estamos Bien). The island has been suffering, is continuing to suffer, and this song comes out like “no were good”. Now obviously this song is not just about post-Hurricane Puerto Rico, but the fact that it comes out in this moment and echos this expectation of Puerto Rican resilience under colonialism..nobody was coming to help them.” — Vanessa Diaz (quote form interview)
In 2017 Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, razing the already deteriorated electrical grid. In response, the governor of Puerto Rico decided to privatize the grid and chose one company from Texas and another from Canada to form a consortium called Luma. Even after Luma took over the management of the grid, the island continued to experience regular blackouts and as fuel prices went up globally, the cost of the resource on the island became untenable for residents. If you're not familiar with Puerto Rico's precarious status, heres a quick download: the island is a territory under the administration of the US, the relationship looks eerily similar to that of a colonial relationship. Before the hurricane, the island had filed for bankruptcy due to its exorbitant debt (totalling $70 billion). The Federal government in the US created a board to take control of Puerto Rico's finances while the island’s legislators brought in foreign investors by incentivising them with tax breaks. Both parties headed confidently down the route of investing in tourism rather than into critical infrastructure and daily necessities for Puerto Ricans. In his song, El Apagon (the blackout), Bad Bunny exposes neocoloniality in Puerto Rico, and shines a light on the issue of displacement and the failed promises of privatization. — Alexis
Brazil Found The Last Survivors of an Amazon Tribe. Now What?
The fight for Indigenous rights and land back movements have garnered a lot of attention in the global conversation. (We’ve covered some of these issues here and here) In recent years, Brazil’s more leftist government has gotten serious about the issue and is taking steps toward rectifying historical wrongs. However, it’s not just about the righting of historical wrongs. It’s also about looking at how Indigenous issues intersect with climate issues. Today, 14% of Brazil is protected Indigenous land – this equates to a land mass the size of Spain and France combined. This protected land is safe from the extraction of natural resources in the Amazon. In the 40s the Brazilian government sold land in the Amazon for cheap in order to incentivize citizens to become rubber tamppers so the country could aid the Allied war efforts. And, during the dictatorship between 1964-1985, there was a government-led effort to clear the Amazon for logging and other industries in an effort to stimulate the economy. It is estimated that at least 8,300 Indigenous people were killed during this time. The Pencos family patriarch purchased their land in the 40s, and they run the state’s largest limestone mines. They’re fighting the government over the new Indigenous land protections – specifically the land specifically protected for Pakyi and Tamandua, the two remaining members of the Piripkura people. The government has protected 1,000 square miles of land in the Amazon for the Piripkura people – an area twice the size of Los Angeles. Sounds incredible, right? And, it is. But it also sparked a deeper question about the posterity of decisions regarding land for Indigenous peoples. There is pushback from landowners whose land is part of the area allotted to Pakyi and Tamandua. They say that 1,000 square miles is excessive for just two people, and the debate is made even more complicated by the fact that Tamandua cannot be found and confirmed to be alive. If he is not, or if he is unable to procreate to further the existence of the Piripkura people for the next generation, what happens to the land allotted to them? (Note: We’ve added stories in previous newsletters about Indigenous people being killed or disappeared, ostensibly, for this reason) This story deals with larger issues of indigenous land rights, calling us to consider how we allot land, and how (and if) we should protect the land in perpetuity regardless of the number of inhabitants. It’s equally important to remember that so long as these lands in the Amazon are protected for Indigenous peoples, they are also protected from the mass extraction that will further damage our planet. As nations begin to wrestle with how best to address Indigenous rights – we can look to the growing number of examples for guidance – we must also consider the intersectionality of these issues and, ultimately, their solutions. — Alexis
» Courting The African Continent
Niger Junta Appoints U.S. Military Officers To Key Jobs
You may have noticed we talk about neo-colonialism a lot in this newsletter, and that’s because it is an example of the way the U.S. strategically uses more covert forms of oppression in order to achieve an agenda. This is something Americans need to be vigilant of because it’s very easy for international events to fly under the radar. Trevor Noah once said the biggest difference he noticed between American racism and South African racism and apartheid is the way the U.S. doesn’t acknowledge that systemic racism exists and disguises racist practices under general policies and laws. American (and Western) neo-colonialism is similar in that it disguises colonialism under a veil of economic policy, the insistence on democracy, or benevolence to poor, freedomless countries. In Niger, officers that received military training in the U.S. were then appointed to key jobs in the government. These officers weren’t American, but the fact that they received American military training is crucial because history tells us that those who received training in the U.S. have been associated and involved with 12 coups in West Africa in the past decade. What can a coup mean for the U.S.? How does the U.S. benefit from providing this training? Well, coups present an opportunity for new leaders, particularly ones who are favorable to the U.S. and new forms of government. And just like that, although the U.S. wasn’t even on Niger soil, they established pathways to influence the powerful, thereby establishing power in Niger. — Sarah
Listening to this episode, I realized I held some negative biases towards China. The narrative Americans are bombarded with via the news, social media, and our politicians, is mean to cause hysteria and fear that China plans to take over the world and bring communism to all corners of the earth. China, like any country, isn’t without its corruption, but the false narrative this episode debunks is the idea that China is interested in colonizing Africa and has been draining Africa of its resources for years. The reason this narrative feels so plausible, is because Americans are viewing the relationship from the lens of the West. Neo-colonialism is always first on the U.S. agenda, so it seems impossible that another country would want to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with countries on another continent. This was an eye-opening moment that further emphasizes why we put out this newsletter - to help readers check your biases and contextualize international news with a critical lens. To learn more about the positive relationship between Africa and China, go ahead and give this a listen! — Sarah
Russia is Still Progressing in Africa. What’s the Limit?
Over the last few decades, with the help of its Soviet-era relationships, Russia has built steadfast partnerships with a number of African leaders. The most competitive diplomatic and business advantage Russia has over Western global powers hoping to establish relationships with leaders on the continent is their cheap military and security services. The security relationship between Russia and African countries was established in the 50s when the continent was a Cold War battleground. The Soviet Union was providing economic and security assistance to a number of independence movements in Africa. Decades later, after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia began looking for new geopolitical partners and circled back to its Soviet-era allies on the continent, creating bilateral military, economic, and security cooperation agreements with a number of African leaders. Russia has also written off billions of dollars in African debt, and continues to do so today (we spoke about the African debt debate last month). African scholars who’ve noticed the West’s sudden interest in the continent after the invasion of Ukraine say that Russian influence on the continent has staying power because they favor collaboration over aid-based relationships. In addition, Russian relationships have come with far fewer caveats than relationships with the US or other Western countries tend to. The recommendations for how the West should move forward in its effort to forge relationships on the continent include: 1) Focusing its efforts on energy diplomacy and changing the narrative that the West is only interested in plundering the continent of its rich resources. Create ways to support their natural industries for mutual benefit. 2) This is kind of “duh”, but, drop the neo-Cold War playbook: African countries are uninterested in feeling like client states, and the U.S. in particular should approach relationship-building with African nations by trying to understand why their relationship with Russia has become a geopolitical asset (hint: Russia is providing necessary services and building functioning institutions across the continent). Then the US can figure out how they can become a more attractive partner to African nations. 3) Another recommendation was triangulation: many African nations are seeking to build diplomatic relationships with other countries of the Global South that are on the rise and some of these countries are already (kind of) allies with the US (like Brazil or India, for example). If the US were to provide African nations and other heavy hitters in the Global South the space to engage with each other, that could be one way to establish more pro-democracy friendly allyships on the African continent. — Alexis
» Strength In Numbers
“Now, for the first time, that whole regime that started with the overthrow of democracy, and went on to include genocide, has now been repudiated by the Guatemalan public in the first chance they really got to vote on it. And this could be the beginning of a turn in Guatemalan history.” — Allan Nair (quote from video)
In 1954, after Guatemala had elected their first democratic president, the CIA backed a coup to end it. Why did the US, a country self-tasked to bring democracy to all corners of the world, want to uninstall a newly elected democratic leader? In part, because the destabilization of the region would allow the US easier access to oil and other resources. It would also eliminating competition in certain industries so that exports from countries like Guatemala remained low. At the time, Democratic leaders of Guatemala wanted to protect farm worker’s rights and pushed for basic land reform but oligarchs of Guatemala, President Eisenhower (in the US) and United Fruit (a US based company) knew this would have devastating economic effects on them. Throughout the 60s the US backed coups all over South America as a way to maintain control and eliminate competition that might weaken US economic growth as we tried our hand at establishing a “free market” approach (I cant stress this enough – you have to read Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein, she explains all of this so perfectly). — Alexis
When this war ends, Ukraine will have the largest and most battle-tested military in Europe, giving them strategic influence and power, and therefore shifting the power balance awkwardly to the East. Since the Russian invasion, Eastern European nations have been focused on pushing forward diplomatic efforts that do not entirely exclude Russia, but rather focus on creating better deterents to Russian aggression. They know that Russia isnt going anywhere and that the heavy handedness of the US and Western Europe, doesnt make sense in the long run. The European Union and NATO will have to reconcile with the distrust Eastern European nations have of them after being ignored or altogether not considered in the important geopolitical conversations. These governing bodies will likely see a push for greater Eastern European influence and leadership among their ranks, when all of this is said and done. Countries like Poland had been warning Western Europe of rising tensions and the possibility of a Russian invasion for years. What experts see is that the rise of Eastern European influence is inevitable, and after Brexit, theres a power void that will eventually have to be filled and it seems as though the country most apt to filling it now is Ukraine (and maybe some other tangentially important Eastern European country like Poland). — Alexis
» Are They Better Together?
“Its always as if Africa comes at the bottom end of this space and that we have to basically follow the alignment of rules, and the questions of others, and we have to abide by that. And I think this is the challenge…Can we just have a discussion on inclusivity? You talk about this normative international system based on rules and respect for human rights. But sometimes it doesn't always work out like that in practice because these institutions are selective…they dont necessarily provide for inclusivity, access to markets or the immigration question.” — Sanusha Naidu (quote from interview)
This is a great conversation to help listeners understand the fabric of BRICS and offers us a peek into the intrapersonal relationship of the group. BRICS is an attempt to amass a preponderance of power (I freaking love this alternative to hegemony that Sanusha Naidu uses) in the world, but the devil is in the details. I think BRICS’s role in the changing world order is pushing the West into corners which have, in small ways, leveled the playing field. Its even caused the US to change the way it approaches foreign policy creation and diplomacy. By engaging often overlooked nations more seriously, BRICS has empowered nations of the Global South and, in turn, these nations have brought new opportunities to the table. Will BRICS move the needle on the international level? Will this ideologically diverse group of nations be able to create a sturdy and meaningful institution? These are the things we are all interested to find out as BRICS moves forward. — Alexis
This month, members of BRICS met in South Africa (sans Putin who was worried that his presence at the summit held in South Africa would put him in danger of facing arrest on war crimes charges) to discuss future plans for the international collective. If you're a subscriber then you've probably noticed that I’ve been sprinkling in BRICS news into many of the more recent newsletters and its because I believe the creation of this group signals a fundamental change in the world order – politically and economically. I also believe it has the potential to fundamentally change how we do international relations. This is the most diverse cast of characters to have partnered with each other on the international stage, who undeniably hold real influence and power. The population of the five BRICS nations represent nearly 40% of the global population and are responsible for ⅓ of the global economy. Their aimes are wide in scope and although theyre just beginning, they have had some small successes. There are about 40 nations who’ve applied to become members (most of which are from the Global South) and at the summit this month, a handful of new members were approved. — Alexis
The Trilateral Summit at Camp David
Biden has been focusing his diplomatic attention on Asia this year and it is bearing fruit. In order to compete with China, the US has been actively working on building allyships with nations in the region, and/or nations that have influence in the region. Here are some of the things that have come out of the US’s diplomatic efforts: 1) the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) between the US, Australia, Japan, and India 2) the Australian-UK-US (AUKUS) which states that the UK and the US will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and lays out how they plan to deepen their cooperation on military technology innovations 3) US-Japan-South Korea Summit where the nations aligned on their security aims and agreed on the US effort to uphold a rules-based international order. Biden is pushing to institutionalize this trilateral relationship to secure the allyship before the next US election so that any potential change in US leadership will not weaken this partnership. — Alexis
India’s Lander Touches Down on the Moon. Russia’s Has Crashed.
This month both Russia and India launched lunar probes in the hopes of being the first in the world to land on the south pole of the moon. The two lunar probes were expected to land at their destination within days of each other (Russia was expected to land first). We’ve discussed space diplomacy as the newest frontier in international relations, and this month we really got to see the first glimpses of how the world’s leading nations are approaching this diplomatic theater. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is interested in the moon for a number of reasons, but especially for its Helium 3 – a crucial component for rocket fuel and nuclear fusion. Russia, on the other hand, has grand ideas for the construction of a lunar base station. The moon contains resources like water-ice, silicon, titanium, and aluminum, and is an ideal pit stop before continuing on to deep-space probes (a goal for both India and Russia). Until recently, India and Russia were longtime collaborators in their space programs – Indian astronauts trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. And it’s no secret the countries align on many geopolitical goals, despite India being “the largest democracy in the world”. But earlier this summer, India made moves that decisively broke from this tradition to collaborate with the US on space endeavors. In June, India signed the US-led Artemis Accords (a non-binding multi-lateral set of principles that will guide civil space exploration in the 21st century). And, per a new US-India agreement, Indian astronauts will now train at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. Sometime in 2024, the world can also expect a joint US-India mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which is awkward timing since Russia has announced it will be leaving the ISS next year to join the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). It’s no mistake these two lunar missions happened at the same time, and there are diplomatic implications to this: It behooves India to align more closely with the US and, in part, was pushed closer to their democratic counterpart after military clashes with China in 2020 in the Galwan Valley. The competition for a south pole lunar landing wasn't just about the competition between India and Russia, but the larger power struggle between China and the US. — Alexis
» The Culture Report & Updates
The All-Women Arab Bands Blazing A Trail in Jordan and Egypt
The traditional norms of the Arab world, although developing over time, can still be an obstacle to women's empowerment. All-women bands in Jordan and Egypt as well as Syria and Morocco are using music and reclaiming the long tradition of solo female singers in the Arab world to break down barriers for women and provide beautiful entertainment to the world at the same time. — Sarah
'Luis Rubiales Is Finished': Spain Soccer Federation President Is Now An Outcast
Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish soccer federation kissed a player during the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony, and it caused an outcry. Rubiales was removed from his position, and Spain is pursuing his permanent removal in Spain’s Administrative Court for sports – finally, accountability in the sports world. This act by Rubiales exposes the toxic masculinity in Spain that minoritized genders were already aware of and also highlights the two ideologies that are at war with each other in Spain currently - that there is not enough being done to defend women’s rights, and defending the rights of women has gone too far. Since outcry poured in, Rubiales has been portraying himself as a victim of feminism, calling it a “witch hunt.” These are two phrases that have been used throughout history to demonize women as they fight for equity. The soccer culture in Spain has a history of chauvinism which has manifested in racist and derogatory language used by fans, sexist chants, and instances of players displaying aggressive behaviors on and off the field. However, there are amazing organizations, such as Mujeres en Igualdad, Fundación Mujeres, COGAM, and Movimiento Feminista, that continue to advocate for gender equity, education, and awareness in Spain. — Sarah
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In Solidarity,
The 823 Team